I must confess that I rarely pay attention when musicians, actors and other prima donnas make sweeping statements in favour or against one thing or the other. So, under normal circumstances if I heard a millionaire musician pontificating about the spiritual purity of the materially disposed, I would have given it the same consideration as the last sighting of Elvis. While some of her declarations could be described as naive, I do believe that Furtado’s observation that ‘the Third World is so full of human triumph’ merits exploration by us who dwell in the Third World because we tend to look outward for inspiration and ignore the essential goodness of the ordinary people around us.

What is so refreshing about Furtado’s observations is her almost child like belief that the people with the least will save the ones with the most because the ones with the least feel more deeply and care more deeply. Maybe Furtado has realised that having the ability to give away a million dollars to charity means much less when compared to the daily toil of the average person in the Third World to put food on the table and to keep the flickering flame of hope alive.

We living in the Third World know that we live amongst people of immense character; don’t we? Or, have we become so addicted to our desire to become part of the First World that we have lost our moral compass and our ability to feel, care and recognise true sacrifice? I have felt it every time I got on a flight to or from Dubai and watched the bustle in the steps and the impatience in the weathered faces of the Sri Lankan ladies getting in and out of the flight. Their hands were always full of bags and parcels and the faces were heavy with perspiration but there was always a spring in their step; an urgency to get home.

In spite of their loss of limb and the loss of a normal life, many have found ways to be productive without giving into the darkness of their condition. Some have become outstanding para athletes. All done with little fanfare and little recognition.

I have seen it in the pleading but determined eyes of the helper who took care of my children when she asked for help to get her child into Royal College. She knew and I knew that it would be an uphill battle but she never gave up because she believed that her child deserved the opportunity to have a better life. Her persistence paid off in the end and her dream of a better life for her child endured.
These Sri Lankans; by being who they are; by overcoming immense physical and mental hardships with bravery and resilience; by never giving up on the belief that their children deserve a future with more opportunities; have made our country a better place.

“It’s official: Album out for summer. and I’ll be out on the road promoting it for at least 2 years cuz I love it,” the Canadian musician promises yesterday. While this follows Furtado’s 2009 Spanish album, “Mi Plan,” we’re hoping that the singer returns to her sexy pop sound from her 2006 album “Loose.” Why, you might ask?

It’s fun! Songs like “Promiscuous” and “Maneater” were fun, original, and great to dance to — which, until that point, was unusual for Furtado. Before “Loose,” Furtado opted for more folk tunes than club hits. Her first album was 2000’s “Whoa, Nelly!” featuring pretty songs such as “I’m Like a Bird” and “Turn Off the Light.” Yes, those songs are pretty good, but they weren’t exactly club-friendly fare.

Nelly Furtado is back to singing in English on new tune “Free”. The tune, which Idolator reports is off her upcoming album Lifestyle, is a bubbling bit of dance pop, which would suggest the Promiscuous Girl is still stuck in the club.

As Furtado told Portuguese outlet IOL late last year, she reteamed with Loose producer Timbaland to record some of the new tracks. But as she puts it, Lifestyle is shaping up to have a different “energy” than that 2006 smash.

“I have worked a little bit with Timbaland who produced that album so it might have some of the same fun and energy, but not like exactly the same,” Furtado said of the record.

“Free” was recorded with Salaam Remi – who worked on The Fugees’s The Score, as well as Furtado’s Mi Plan.

Last Friday, Nelly Furtado introduces her Fritz Helder & The Phantoms at the group’s CD release party at Mr. Black in New York City. The album, named “Greatest Hits! Platinum Edition,” is released on Nelly Furtado’s new Nelstar record label.

Hosted and introduced by Nelly Furtado, Toronto-based Fritz Helder & the Phantoms – comprised of lead singer Fritz Helder, sporting a Dorothy Hamill haircut, keyboardist Diego Superstar and his exaggerated eyelashes, the fabulous Pastel Supernova and guitarist Silk Helder – put on a raucous set of 11 songs. Right off the bat, you can’t deny their comparison to the Black Eyed Peas simply because of the make-up of their band members (3 multi-ethnic guys and a hot girl). But these guys really have their own thing going on. Loved their style, music, and syncopated moves.

Nelly Furtado has launched her own record label in a bid to lend a helping hand to hopeful musicians.

The ‘Hey Man’ hitmaker has launched her own record label called ‘Nelstar’. Nelly will work in co-operation with Canadian record company Last Gang Labels.

Nelly Furtado has already signed up a Toronto-based electro-pop quartet ‘Fritz Helder and the Phantoms’ under her newly launched record label.

“I’ve been thinking about a way to help Fritz Helder for a while and this venture grew out of my love for the band, their art and their work ethic. I am as committed as they are to bringing their creativity to the world,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

“We love Nelly and this new partnership is a very exciting opportunity for us. It’s empowering to work with a combination of people who believe in our project and are willing to help us see it through,” remarks Fritz, the group’s main vocalist.

“Absolutely. Women are beautiful and sexy. It is interesting, because I’m reading a book about Chinese medicine, which claims that people are inherently bisexual to balance their energies. And, in a way, that makes so much sense. As humans we have both male and female energies. I believe in Kurt Cobain’s statement that, in the end, everyone is gay. Everybody should have the freedom to experiment. I believe sexual experimentation is part of human history.”
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Nelly Furtado has sparked rumours she has secretly married.

The singer – whose engagement to Cuban sound engineer Demacio “Demo” Castellon was revealed in July – was seen wearing a gold wedding band on her ring finger, below her diamond engagement ring at Miami’s Y100 Jingle Ball on Saturday (15.12.07).

A source is quoted as saying: “Nelly was partying backstage with Natasha Bedingfield and Timbaland. She was so happy and there was no missing the gold band on her finger.
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“Natasha took her hand and looked at it and then hugged her and whispered something in her ear. It looked like she was congratulating her.”

Nelly, 29, enjoyed letting down her newly-dyed blonde hair backstage after performing at the BankAtlantic Center to a packed house.

The singer met Demo when he worked on her hit album ‘Loose’ in 2006.

Nelly Furtado turned to music for enjoyment, learning to play the guitar and the ukulele, and listened to mainstream R&B like Mariah Carey, TLC, Jodeci, Salt-N-Pepa, and Bell Biv DeVoe. Later, she delved into her older brother’s collection of Radiohead, Pulp, Oasis, Portishead, the Verve, and U2, pushing Furtado to fully embrace different musical genres, specifically Brazilian music and material by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Amalia Rodrigues. Hip-hop was also a big catalyst in shaping Furtado’s musical appreciation. After high school, she headed to Toronto where she worked at an alarm company by day and experienced the music scene by night. She joined a hip-hop duo, Nelstar, and this opportunity led Furtado back to her hip-hop influences of De La Soul and Digable Planets. This allowed her to get comfortable with writing her own melodies and freestyle rhymes.

When Furtado started cutting loose at a local Toronto club during the week, her musical aspirations began to swirl. Brian West and Gerald Eaton, of Canadian funk-pop group the Philosopher Kings, were instantly impressed by her strong sense of performing and asked to produce her demo. During those sessions, Furtado created some of the moving work that landed on her debut for Dreamworks, Whoa, Nelly!, released in fall 2000. A headlining tour of the U.S. in spring 2001 sparked more interest from fans and critics, and a spot on Moby’s Area:One summer tour allowed singles “I’m Like a Bird” and “Turn Off the Light” to receive bigger praise. Furtado’s greatest achievement followed a year later when she earned four Grammy nods, including Song of the Year for “I’m Like a Bird.”

Folklore appeared in November 2003, nearly two months after Furtado gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Nevis. The record was a general disappointment, failing to capitalize on the success of her previous work. She didn’t return to limelight until summer 2006, with her third record, Loose. Produced almost entirely by Timbaland and boasting a much more appealing and timely style, the album earned significant attention, putting Furtado’s career back on the fast track. Lead track “Promiscuous” became an instant hit, earning her a number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Loose also topped the Billboard Top 200 album chart during its first week of release in later June 2006, becoming Furtado’s first-ever number one album.

Timbaland’s hit track Apologize has been named the biggest radio song in U.K. history. The song beat Timbaland’s 2006 collaboration with singer Nelly Furtado to become the most-played song on British radio since the airwaves were monitored in 1987.

Nelly’s Promiscuous was spun 10,306 times in a single seven-day period in 2006, but the hip-hop star beat the record by 25 spins (10,331) last week.

The top 10 is as follows:
1. Timbaland/OneRepublic – Apologize
2. Nelly Furtado – Promiscuous
3. Beyonce – Irreplaceable
4. Justin Timberlake – SexyBack
5. Fergie – Big Girls Don’t Cry
6. Avril Lavigne – Complicated
7. Nelly Furtado – Say It Right
8. Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean – Hips Don’t Lie
9. Nickelback – How You Remind Me
10. Justin Timberlake – What Goes Around Comes Around