Live From Kgn hits Manor Park

A breezy Saturday night in Manor Park Plaza was the perfect setting for the fiery second staging of Live From Kingston. The December edition of the pop-up event featured Zuri Lyric and Mo-Zhai, both newcomers to the stage, as well as songstress Sezi, lyricist extraordinaire Kabaka Pyramid, and the very versatile Romain Virgo.

Zuri Lyric opened the show with a well-delivered cover of Nelly Furtado's Turn off the Lights. The teenage performer described her style as "a fusion of alternative, indie, reggae and jazz" during a post-performance interview.

Impressive set

The multi-talented Mo-Zhai delivered an impressively diverse set, featuring the 19-year-old Montegonian on lead vocals, guitar and violin. His melodious vocals and skilful manipulation of the strings made for a mesmerising performance which earned him an enthusiastic reception.

Trini-Jamaican songbird Sezi delivered a soulful, smooth and captivating set. Playing alongside master guitarist Jason Worton of the Indiggnation Band, she commanded full attention.

Self-proclaimed "lyrical opposer" Kabaka Pyramid previewed much of his newest material, including I've Been Waiting for You and No Cliché, a direct appeal for greater diversity of content and creativity in popular music. Fellow 'rebel with a cause' and promoter of the event, Protoje, joined Kabaka on stage for a gripping performance of Warrior.

Romain Virgo closed the show with an impassioned and powerful set, which was his first live acoustic performance to date. His hesitation to leave the stage, despite having to head to another engagement two hours away, was testimony to the positive vibrations felt by all who were present at the second instalment of I&I Worldwide's Live From Kingston concert series.

Thomas-Girvan wins 2012 Aaron Matalon Award

Jasmine Thomas-Girvan, jeweller and sculptor, has been awarded the 2012 Aaron Matalon Award for being deemed the artist who made the most outstanding contribution to the National Biennial Exhibition at the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ).

The award was granted by NGJ's Exhibitions and Acquisitions Committee, who opined that Jasmine's two mixed media sculptures - Dreaming Backwards, a wall-based assemblage, and Occupy (Alchemy of Promise), which is free-standing - are truly indicative of recent developments in Jamaican art.

Jamaica-born Thomas-Girvan attended the Parsons School of Design in New York, where she received a BFA in Jewellery and Textile Design and was awarded the Tiffany Honour Award for Excellence. She also received a Prime Minister's Certificate of Recognition for Excellence in Jamaica and received a Commonwealth Foundation Arts award in 1996.

Thomas-Girvan has also made a number of public commissions, one of which was presented to the Queen of England. Her work has been exhibited in the USA, Jamaica, Trinidad, Venezuela, and Mexico, and she recently had a solo exhibition, titled Resonance, at Hi-Qo Gallery in Kingston. She currently lives and works in Trinidad.

"Over time, my work has been expanding in scale and so one of the pieces is a wall piece 10 feet long, titled Dreaming Backwards. This piece brings together many of the recurring themes in my work, referencing our collective history/memory, and is realised in materials which are environmentally relevant (such as a palm frond, bird feathers and man-made found objects). The second piece traverses the defined boundaries of jewellery and sculpture and is titled Alchemy of Promise. It is crafted in local mahogany and bronze, with wearable (jewellery accents) and jumbie beads. It represents a meditation on the way forward," stated Thomas-Girvan in a recent interview about her work in the 2012 National Biennial.

Pregnancy boosts sex-tape sales

Kim Kardashian's boyfriend, Kanye West, shared the couple's happy news of her pregnancy during a performance at a concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on December 30, and the brunette beauty's representative has now confirmed the news.

During the show, Kanye - who has been dating Kim since April 2011 - told the audience to "stop the music and make noise for my baby mama".

The 32-year-old reality TV star has admitted she is over the moon and can't wait to become a mother. Writing on her official blog on New Year's Day, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star said: "It's true! Kanye and I are expecting a baby."

"We feel so blessed and lucky and wish that, in addition to both of our families, his Mom and my Dad could be here to celebrate this special time with us. Looking forward to great new beginnings in 2013 and to starting a family. Happy New Year!!! Xo."

Kim is said to be three months pregnant and is still legally married to her estranged ex-husband, basketball star Kris Humphries, despite filing for divorce more than one year ago after just 72 days of marriage. Their divorce is expected to be finalised in early 2013.

Sales of Kim Kardashian's sex tape have gone up by 80 per cent since her pregnancy was revealed. Vivid Entertainment - who own the rights to Kim Kardashian: Superstar which features X-rated footage of the beauty and her ex-boyfriend Ray J - report business has soared since the news was made public. The company say the sudden surge in video-on-demand sales is the biggest since Kim's 2011 nuptials to Kris Humphries.

Sex-tape DVD sales increase

Additionally, they told TMZ that sales of the erotic material on DVD, online and video-on-demand have increased steadily every month since the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star started dating Kanye last spring The tape, which was made in 2003, was leaked online in 2007.

Kim sued Vivid Entertainment for ownership of the tape - which was allegedly stolen during a house move - after they paid US$1 million for the rights. In April 2007, she dropped the case and settled with the company for US$5 million.

Gangnam Style makes Internet history

The Gangnam Style phenomenon doesn't seem like it's about to let up anytime soon. According to Billboard.biz, the music video for the Korean megahit has surpassed one billion views, making it the first video in Internet history to do so.

The announcement came almost a month after it was announced that the viral hit had surpassed Justin Bieber's Baby as the most watched video on YouTube.

The K-pop mastermind behind the mega hit song, Psy, has been cashing in on all these views according to Billboard which puts the video's YouTube earnings alone at around US$2 million so far. When combined with earnings from digital downloads and other additional revenues, Gangnam Style is undoubtedly a musical cash cow and is bring Psy much more than worldwide fame.