#finally a musical in the netherlands that i“m looking forwards to it

[fluffystarusagi]

Omg yes yess

I"m so happy ^^

Elisabeth das Musical is coming to the Netherlands again!!!

[handsofdarkness]

Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation): "Emotions are the most important ingredient in music"

A few days ago we interviewed the singer of Within Temptation – Sharon den Adel. We talked with the artist from the Netherlands about what her life in the lockdown reality looks like, about her band's publishing plans and hopes for the coming months. Enjoy your reading!

The interview, which took place on January 14, 2021 was conducted by Mateusz M. Godoń via Skype.

MATEUSZ: Hi Sharon! First of all, how are you doing? How is your life during the current lockdown?

SHARON: I'm fine, thank you. Yeah, of course it's not the ideal situation, but, you know, we have to cope like everyone else. And that's just what it is.

MATEUSZ: So what do you do when you have to spend most of your time at home? Have you discovered any new passions recently or are you just developing some older ones?

SHARON: I'm mostly developing the older ones. But we've redone the whole house, for instance. So that's one of the things that I never thought I would enjoy that much. But if you are at home that much, it's nice to have something to do. So we’ve been redecorating, painting rooms and stuff like that just to keep busy, but obviously, we also devoted a lot of time to music.

MATEUSZ: Quite recently you guys have released your new single called "The Purge". Can you tell us a bit about this song? What is this piece about?

SHARON: Well, it's all about looking back on life and dealing with situations and decisions made in the past and living on – and because of dealing with it, you can live better. You know, sometimes you really need to look certain things in the eye to cope with it again and not take the burden along with you throughout the years – and it will be easier in life if you do it. And that's something that we had a lot of time for, I think, when we were in a lockdown to overthink life. Everybody's in a roller coaster, the whole year long and every year, so when there's a lockdown like this, you get a chance to re-evaluate your life itself and also directions and decisions made, of course. And that's, I think, why "The Purge" came together.

MATEUSZ: This is the second song after "Entertain You", which you are releasing as a part of series of singles. Why did you choose this form of sharing new material this time instead of waiting for a whole new album to be ready?

SHARON: Well, the first reason was to have some new songs while being on tour again, of course, when we are doing this co-headline tour with Evanescence. We felt like we've just been on tour, so it's nice to have on the new tour some new songs to surprise everybody that we don't just play the same - or more or less the same – setlist again, but we have some new songs added to it as well, which is always nice, I guess. And then of course, a lockdown came and we felt like: OK, you know what, we're just going to continue doing this and we're not going to release an album, because we don't know how long it's going to take before we get out of the lockdown again. And we need something to look forward to. And it's also an experiment in a way, and started with the fact that we wanted to present some new songs on tour. But, yeah, now it became a bigger experiment than we thought – it was going to be a longer one anyway [laughter]. But it's nice, because now we're right in the moment and that's good also, I think.

MATEUSZ: But after all, do you plan to release an album with all the singles you are now releasing in digital form? Fans still like to have all their favorite bands' songs on physical media, and I'm sure they'd love to have another release to add to their collections!

SHARON: Yeah, well, we are planning that still. It is still the plan to release eventually an album, but it will take us some time to get together and also record everything, of course. But we have enough time. Getting together is a bit of a problem – but we can do a lot already and we'll see how far we get. And you know, there's a lot of touring ahead of us when we are able to go on tour again. So that needs to come first, but of course, there will be an album eventually. But we're still going to keep on releasing some new songs here and there as long as this takes.

MATEUSZ: Not so long ago, you have created your own label. Why did you decide to do that? Does it have anything to do with trying to release songs in a different way than before?

SHARON: Yes, you know, we artists have different goals than record companies sometimes. And for us, this was very important to do it this way to try this out. And then you have to be, well, you know, on the same page with your record company, of course. And when it didn't happen, we decided to do it on our own.

MATEUSZ: Right! Not so long ago, because just two years ago, you have released your last longplay, "Resist", and it came out five years after the previous album. What it took you so long to release a follow-up to "Hydra"?

SHARON: Well, it was because of the fact that I had a little bit of writer's block. Little was a big one – and it was not just me, but I think the whole band was in a small identity crisis, I guess. In a way, it was a little like a lockdown for the band at that time. In a way, it was a little like a lockdown for the band at that time. You know, life can always be one big rollercoaster for everyone in this world – and sometimes, at a certain age, or maybe because of some problems (like in my case, because my dad got really ill), you can just have enough. I got into a vibe like I wanted to look back on life and started realizing: do I still want to do this? So I was a little bit in an emotional crisis in a way. And also together with this writer's block, I think, which was, of course, glued together, it was one big problem. Of course, it was all connected to each other. And it wasn't just me – I think a lot of them were like: OK, we've been doing this for so many years in our adult life, what else do we want to do? In the band, I'm one of the writers – not the only one, of course – but everyone was struggling to find a new direction, a new goal, a new challenge, I guess. And so I decided in the meantime that, just for therapy, I was going to write a few songs and it didn't have to be for Within Temptation. And it really opened the doorway of writing new stuff that I normally would never write and would come out of me. And so it helped me get rid of the blockage, this writer's block that I had. And I wrote a different album in the meantime. So that also took a lot of time. And releasing it was for me, a personal project that I needed to do for myself. It was called My Indigo. And yeah, and it helped us back on track with this, not just me, but I think everybody, because I also got some help from the other members. Everybody was, of course, in the same kind of ship and we were a little bit shipwrecked [laughter]. So it was, yeah, time for some cooling down and some distance, I guess. And that’s why it took us five years to come back with "Resist".

MATEUSZ: I'm glad to hear that the crisis is over or it's getting better at least. You've already mentioned this sideproject of yours, My Indigo. Do you plan to continue it and release more albums under this brand name?

SHARON: I'm only working for Within Temptation at the moment, but I hope to write someday again for My Indigo when I feel the need for it. It should be a project that is spontaneous and should come to me when I am ready for it, I guess. And at this moment, I don't have the inspiration for My Indigo. I hope I'll get it again – but it's also not always a good sign [laughter]. When I'm working for Within Temptation, I'm not working for My Indigo – and vice versa. I think I need both, probably, but at this moment I'm more in the vibe for Within Temptation.

MATEUSZ: Great! So, as you've already mentioned, last year you were planning to go on a big tour with Evanescence, but the pandemic thwarted your plans and the tour had to be postponed to fall 2021. Hopefully this tour will take place and there would be no more problems  –  but how do you envision the post-pandemic touring?

SHARON: I think people will be more fired up to hear music live! Fired up because of the fact that they're finally out of their houses, you know, everybody is out there and wants to be together again. And I think that it will bring a crazy kind of fire that will bring it to the next level. You know, people are really going to appreciate being outdoors again, not just for us, of course, not just our own shows, but every show that's going to happen after this lockdown. I think it is going to be crazy and so much fun. So I'm really looking forward to that. I'm really hoping that will happen soon.

MATEUSZ: Yeah, I understand you totally  –  I'm also looking forward to the return of concerts, because I'm a photographer during the shows here in Poland and I miss it so much!

SHARON: I can imagine! [laughter]

MATEUSZ: So do you do you miss playing live yourself?

SHARON: Yes, of course, I miss this interaction. I miss the people. I miss the crew. I miss the band, obviously! I miss everybody. The whole picture isn't complete without one or the other. So we need everyone and every single person that was involved in the past and hopefully will get on board again with this new tour, because there's also some problems ahead, I guess! Also because of the fact that you don't know if everybody is going to survive this lockdown – meaning like truck companies, the catering that we used to have... We know every each and every person almost who travels with us. You know, it's one big family – and that goes for every person who supports our team, like truck and bus drivers who travel with us from one city to another and to any country. And so you need everybody on board to be able to get this picture back in place again. And I really hope most people who'd worked for us, are still able to work for us when we start again, because everybody will start up at the same time more or less and there will be a lot of work. But you have your favorite team, of course, and they work for several people. So it’s just wondering, like, can we get the dream team together again? Hopefully they will choose us.

MATEUSZ: Yeah, sure! Let's hope that everybody would be available when this nightmare ends and there would be no more problems. So you are planning to perform in Poland again during the Worlds Collide tour. You have played here many times before. Which of those visits do you consider the most important? Do you have any special memories from here?

SHARON: Well, I love the city Cracow, because I think that's one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to! So I like the Polish fans because they have a drive for music like no other, I guess, especially not in up north in Europe. You're very passionate people! And that's something that I love, because we feel the same passion for music when we are on stage. And it's easy to get in contact with Polish audience because they are so enthusiastic, so outgoing in their passion. And I really admire that because, you know, not every country has that. Not every people express themselves that easily. And that's really beautiful!

MATEUSZ: Thanks, that's very nice what you say! I've heard that you and your parents traveled to a lot of countries when you were a child. What did these experiences give you? Which of the places you have visited do you like to come back the most?

SHARON: Well, as a child I lived in Surinam, which and I think that's one of the most beautiful countries I've ever been to, and also in Indonesia. I've lived in so many countries, but also I've traveled to a lot of countries. But still, I like the people very much in Surinam. They were very relaxed, very sweet. They were very easy going to get to know and very loving people. So I'm hoping to come back to that country one day again. But there are so many beautiful countries as so many beautiful place on Earth. I've been to Australia, I've been to Africa. But I think it's the people you meet in a place that make you find it beautiful. And I met a lot of beautiful people in Surinam.

MATEUSZ: What you say made me want to go there one day!

SHARON: Yeah, it's a really beautiful country, with such a nice jungle and the people are just really lovely! You should definitely go there someday!

MATEUSZ: OK, I hope I will be able to! Speaking of memories of your youth – you started your career in the fashion industry. What made you finally decide to switch to music?

SHARON: Well, you know, music was always my biggest passion, and you guys from Poland know about passion, so that's always leading. So in fact, fashion was a second plan, more like I needed a job – I needed to get bread on the table, like they say here in Holland. So you need to have your priorities first. And music was always a hobby to us, because at the time that we started there wasn't a big legacy of bands that were world famous. There weren't bands that could live from their music. And so we felt like: OK, you know, let's be realistic – the kind of music that we make, you know, how many people will like it? [laughter] That's what they told us also from the start! Our parents were like: OK, come on, guys, you know, be realistic, you're never going to make it in music. And not only your parents, but everyone around us was saying: OK, what do you do in your life? You make music? Yeah, OK, but what's your job? And they did make us think. And so everybody has their degrees. Robert did a study for education, for human resource management, I had this fashion management. We also had some whiz-kid in our band, a guitar player, who was developing websites and stuff like that. So everybody had their jobs besides the band. And all of a sudden we broke through and then everything changed – we had a huge hit with "Ice Queen" in the Netherlands and Belgium, we felt like: OK, why not go for it for just for a certain time and enjoy this? Because might never come back, and this is our passion – so let's leave the job and go for it! [laughter] And so we did, and we never had to go back to the job again, luckily for us. But, you know, since then, the music industry in the Netherlands has been getting bigger and bigger also not just because of us, of course, but there was so many different kind of styles developing at the same time, like the dance scene was huge in the Netherlands, and it still is quite big. And so, you know, it's something we never thought would happen. Also, besides us, there are so many other bands who started touring and believing in the fact that might be a chance to do this for a living, you know, to have your passion as a daily thing.

MATEUSZ: All right, thanks for such a long, nice story! So as a songwriter, as a stage artist, where do you get your inspirations from? Do you have any favorite other acts whose work has influenced what kind of artist you are?

SHARON: Oh, many! You know, as a small girl, I lived in Indonesia and one day I went to a drive-in show with my parents, where I first saw the movie "Grease". And afterwards I wanted to have the record with the songs from that movie, because I fell in love with the vocals of this lady who could sing so well, whose name was Olivia Newton-John! I just wanted to sing those songs from "Grease" – and I did, for many years, on a daily basis! [laughter] I know every song from front to back and back to front. I was Olivia's fan for a long time, and also from her music I got into country music. My parents were playing a lot of Eagles and, you know... I'm sorry I forgot the question when I started to talk! This is a very big story. What was the original question? [laughter]

MATEUSZ: Where do you get your inspirations from?

SHARON: Which people inspired me, yeah! So, as I already said, I started with Olivia Newton-John, and then when I grew older, I got into Tori Amos. But I also liked Mariah Carey, for instance, very much because she was for me "the Steve Vai amongst vocalists". It may not be the type of music you would expect from me – and it is certainly not my favorite – but Mariah was the most technical singer I've ever heard in my life. And I think that for many singers, a great way to practice your vocal cords is to sing her songs. I have never taken singing lessons myself – but practicing on my own, I was always trying to get that really idiotic high notes from Mariah Carey and try to replicate it. And I drove my parents crazy, but she was one of my inspirations, more on the technical side. And I also love Janis Joplin. During the concerts, she was all over the floor and she was crying on stage. She was so emotional. She was giving all her passion to the audience, and that was so beautiful! I was inspired by her – and I was inspired by Kurt Cobain, who did the same thing, but with a heavier music. And that was my first encounter with really heavy music – because, of course, I knew Alice Cooper, but he was more pop or pop-rock to my opinion. So Nirvana was my ultimate favorite band. So different artists inspired me in different ways, but especially how they expressed themselves on stage and made me aware of the fact that emotion is maybe the most important ingredient in music. So that way, yeah, I was really inspired by all these artists in a different way, I guess.

MATEUSZ: It's not good to ask about plans right now, because we can plan anything and the pandemic would always destroy our schedules. So what can I wish you for this new year that have just recently started?

SHARON: Well, the tour will go on at least and hopefully also the festivals. But, you know, that's quite close in the year, and I'm not sure everybody will be vaccinated or there will be a plan for that yet, but I hope that at least some festivals will happen and the tour will happen in September, but it's quite far away. I just want to believe that it will be real to come back on stage, and I wish that to every band because everyone is waiting to somehow get back to normal life. And it's you know, it's for some people even more important because it's the only thing they have. So for me, the best wish is that we can be playing life again, not just for us, but for everyone, just as that would be such a beautiful gift for 2021.

MATEUSZ: Yeah. Let's hope that it would happen! So is there anything that you would like to say to your Polish fans at the end of this interview?

SHARON: Well, I really hope they will hold onto that passion of theirs and I hope that we'll see each other sooner or later. Hang in there and stay tough! And, yeah, we'll make that bonfire together when we get there!

MATEUSZ: Thanks! Thank you very much, Sharon, for this conversation. It was quite an honor to me to speak with you today. And as you've already said, I hope to meet you on tour this year in Poland to gather with all the fans and to celebrate the return of normal life.

SHARON: Yes, totally! Let's do that. Let's hold on to that picture, that's very important!

[midsummer-ambedo]

Bored in bed sooo

111 Questions

001: What is your biggest dream?

To be able to live a happy and fullfilling life.

002: What is the bravest thing you've ever done?

Stood up for myself/ other people/ my opinion in certain situations

003: Is it hard for you to show your feelings?

Sometimes yes, usually no

004: What is your dream job? What was your dream job when you were little?

Probably to work at an auction or as a specialist in art for the police. When I was little I wanted to become an author.

005: What is your favorite sound?

Sound of rain tapping on the roof, the waves crashing against the shore, the wind howling through the trees

006: Would you rather be in front of the camera or behind it?

Rather behind but I‘m getting more comfy with being infront of it too

007: What do you notice first when you meet a new person? (Both in real and on the internet)

In real life probably their height, face, hair. On the internet probably their humour.

008: Is there anybody you *fully* trust?

A few very close friends!

009: Do you like / love someone? If yes, who?

Yes, it‘s a secret

010: Have you ever received / sent hate? How do you deal with it?

Probably did, It doesn‘t really bother me

011: What are you going to spend money on next?

Food

012: What are three things you never leave your house without?

My phone, my chapstick and hankerchiefs

013: What is your favorite place?

Somewhere at the beach

014: Do you sing and/or dance in front of people?

Sure, rather singing than dancing tho

015: Have you ever cheated on a test?

Yes

016: What is your current desktop background?

A fox

017: How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Funny, witty, caring

018: What does make you happy?

Yummy food, good friends, funny jokes, being able to have a day for myself

019: What time were you born?

No idea

020: Do you give second chances? Why?

Depends but usually I do because I‘d rather regret doing something than not doing it

021: Name your biggest turn ons and turn offs.

Turn ons; good smell, pretty hair, humour, a good taste, being spontaneous, being able to keep it up with me

Turn offs; boring people, a lot of insecurities, unable to be indepentend, nothing to talk about

022: When was the last time you hugged someone?

Yesterday

023: What is your favorite food?

i‘ve got too many, a lot of veggies and fruits but also anything from soup to burgers to pizza

024: Do you save money or spend it right away?

Usually I try to save a bit of it

025: Do you have any tattoos? If yes, what are their meanings? If no, would you get any?

I‘ve got two, one is a little heart on my sleeve because I wear my heart on my sleeve and because one of my favourite bands made a song about getting a heart tattoo haha. The other one is the hand of adam in the picture feom michealangelo next to a mouse finger, doesn‘t really have a meaning I just thought it looked cool and it matches my arthistory studies

026: Name five things you find beautiful.

Dogs, cats, flowers, the ocean, forrests

027: What is your favorite clothing style? (Both in you and others)

In me, I don‘t really have one or rather I‘ve got s few I like (anything from sporty to goth basically haha) ob others probably something 70ies ish

028: How do you cheer yourself up?

With walks, music, doing something to care for myself

029: Do you show affection in public?

Yes

030: What is one thing you are looking forward to?

Finally finishing my degree

031: Have you ever been to other countries? If yes, where?

Russia, italy, france, spain, netherlands, kazachstan

032: What was the last lie you told and why?

Not sure?

033: Who are the people you can always turn to?

M, S, A

034: Have you ever done drugs? If not, would you ever try them?

Smoked weed before, didn‘t really phase me. Probably wouldn‘t wanna try anything else

035: What is your favorite word?

It always changes

036: Do you consider yourself a romantic?

Not a hardcore romantic but yes

037: What are 3 objects that are *very* important to you and why?

My phone because it‘s basically my life, chapstick because I‘m addicted haha and my plants because they are my babies

038: Have you ever met someone famous? If so, who?

Yes, a few band people

039: What would you like to change, mentally and physically, about yourself?

Mentally, being more mentally stable, being less keen of revenge, being more peacefull. Phyisically probably just loosing a few pounds

040: Have you ever won a contest/competition? What for?

I think I did probably something back in school

041: What is one illegal thing you would do if there were no consequences?

Kill someone

042: Who are your favorite fictional characters?

Don‘t really like fictionaly characters

043: Do you ever wish you were somebody else?

Sometimes, usually it‘s rather someplace else

044: What is your favorite store to shop at?

Asos, zalando

045: Do you want to have children one day? How many? How would you name them?

Yes, two. Mika and paul

046: How do you cope with stress? How do you vent your anger?

I don‘t haha

047: What do you want for your birthday?

More plants, money, a new phone, a new laptop

[sbknews]

New Post has been published on Superbike News

New Post has been published on http://superbike-news.co.uk/wordpress/movistar-yamaha-motogp-team-presents-2018-colours-madrid/

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Presents its 2018 Colours in Madrid

Race fans can breathe a sigh of relief – the end to the winter stop is finally in sight and the first official 2018 IRTA MotoGP pre-season test in Sepang, Malaysia, kicks off in just four days’ time. Building up excitement for the start of a new racing season, the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team showed off its 2018 colour scheme today at the Casa Del Lector, Matadero, giving a foretaste of what’s to come.

The Italy-based Yamaha Factory Racing team travelled to Madrid not only to present a new livery, but also to celebrate its strong partnership with telecommunications giant Telefónica Spain.

The two companies signed a five-year partnership agreement in the premier class of road racing in 2014, underlined with Movistar becoming the team‘s title sponsor. In the past four years, Yamaha and Telefónica Spain‘s shared values and passion for innovation laid the groundwork for success, resulting in a MotoGP Triple Crown in 2015 and the MotoGP Team‘s Title in 2016.

However, the focus of the 2018 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Presentation event was set on celebrating the start of the new season, rather than commemorating past achievements. Eager to take on the challenge to push the limits even further in 2018, the two companies unveiled a new team logo, that shows Movistar‘s new colour scheme, with a light blue “M”.

Masters of Ceremonies, Izaskun Ruiz and Dylan Gray, presented the launch event and soon welcomed the new Yamaha Motor Racing President and General Manager of Motorsports Development Division, Kouichi Tsuji, to the stage for a Q&A session. He shed light on how Yamaha is working on pushing the limits, before it was Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director Massimo Meregalli‘s turn to discuss the 2018 preparations and how the team aims to rise to the challenges ahead.

The next guest speakers were nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi and former Moto3 World Champion Maverick Viñales, who are no strangers to pushing boundaries and breaking records.

Rossi is known to be Yamaha‘s most successful rider and is determined to further confirm his status in 2018, as he enters a sixth consecutive year with Yamaha Factory Racing since his return to the manufacturer in 2013. Moreover, 2018 will be his 13th season with the team since he first joined Yamaha in 2004.

Though the Italian had a strong start to the season last year – and briefly led the championship standings – two injuries sustained in separate incidents ultimately cost him a chance to fight for the 2017 title. Despite these misfortunes, the 38-year-old Italian secured six podiums in total, including a brilliant race win in the Netherlands. With a total of 115 Grand Prix victories written to his name, this year he‘ll be gearing up once more for his quest to secure a tenth World Title.

Viñales made waves on his first year with the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team. He joined the Factory Yamaha crew after gaining two years of experience in the premier class and was quick to make a name for himself as one of the key protagonists, securing third place in the overall rider standings in his first year with Yamaha.

The 23-year-old had a dream start to the 2017 season, taking two race wins at the opening rounds in Qatar and Argentina. He followed it up with a win in France to secure Yamaha’s 500th Grand Prix victory. Though the remainder of the season was more challenging for the Spaniard, he still graced the podium a total of seven times last year, which only left him hungrier to compete at the front of the MotoGP field again during the 2018 season.

Finally, the President of Telefónica España, Luis Miguel Gilperez, was also put in the spotlight towards the end of the 2018 team launch ceremony. He further highlighted the close bond between Yamaha and Movistar, before it was time for the main event.

During the unveiling of the 2018 Yamaha YZR-M1, a new soundtrack, created by Yamaha Motor Racing Srl and Yamaha Music Europe GmbH – Branch Italy, set the scene of the action to come this racing season. Rossi and Viñales proudly presented their new bikes with a refreshed livery. Besides a revamped Movistar logo, the “Movistar M” design element on the bike is now white, making it blend in perfectly with Yamaha Factory Racing‘s aesthetics.

The team is also pleased to announce that, after introducing slogans of Yamaha Indonesia Motor Manufacturing (“Semakin Di Depan”, or “One Step Ahead” in English), Yamaha Motor Vietnam Co., Ltd. (“Go Beyond”) and Yamaha Motor Philippines, Inc. (“Blue is Fast”) on the M1s last year, also Thai Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (http://www.yamaha-motor.co.th) will be featured on the bike in 2018.

Furthermore, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP is delighted that Software Cradle Co., Ltd. (http://www.cradle-cfd.com) has joined its sponsor line-up for 2018 (until 2020), and that it can also confirm the continuation of its numerous sponsors and partners, including:

Movistar (Telefonica Spain) – http://www.movistar.es

JXTG Energy (ENEOS) – http://www.noe.jxtg-group.co.jp/index.html

Monster Energy Corporation – https://www.monsterenergy.com

Semakin di Depan – http://www.yamaha-motor.co.id

Yamalube – http://yamalube.com/

Abarth – http://www.abarth.com

Akrapovič – http://www.akrapovic.com/

Go Beyond – http://yamaha-motor.com.vn

Mio – http://www.yamaha-motor.com.ph

Blue Core – http://www.yamaha-motor.co.id

Oakley – http://www.oakley.com

Descente – http://www.descente.com/

Alpinestars – https://www.alpinestars.com/

Gilles Tooling – http://www.gillestooling.com

Racing Boy – https://www.racingboy.com.my

Furukawa Electrics – https://www.furukawa.co.jp/en/

Cromax – http://www.cromax.com/

Exedy – http://www.exedy.com

Magneti Marelli – http://www.magnetimarelli.com

D.I.D. – http://www.did-daido.co.jp

NGK Spark Plugs – https://www.ngkntk.co.jp

BMC Air Filters – http://www.bmcairfilters.com

2D – http://2d-datarecording.com

Beta Tools – http://beta-tools.it

Yamaha Corporation (Yamaha Music) – https://www.yamaha.com

Michelin – https://www.michelin.com/eng/

Lastly, the team continues to support Yamaha‘s bLU cRU programme, encouraging a younger generation of on-road riders to follow their dream to become the next MotoGP-star. The initiative provides a safe and professional environment for young riders to develop their talent. Rossi and Viñales continue to be ambassadors of the programme and will serve as role models for the riders in lower classes.

KOUICHI TSUJI GENERAL MANAGER MOTORSPORTS DIVISION, YMC We are honoured to start the fifth year with our title sponsor Movistar – a brand that has great heritage in the MotoGP championship. We enjoyed really important and very positive moments in the first four years of our collaboration. This year we launched the new 2018 bike in Madrid again, close to the home of Telefónica Spain. From this moment on we begin a new season, with a fresh livery and an updated team logo, to highlight the union between Yamaha and Movistar as well as to mark the beginning of this new chapter.

We are very fortunate to have two incredibly talented riders in our team. Both Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales have a very strong bond with the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team. I‘m sure that, together with their crews – but also thanks to the support of the sponsors, partners, and fans – they will be able to fight competitively for race wins. They can be assured that everybody involved in this project is committed to helping them achieve their goals, so we‘re ready to challenge together for victory in 2018.

LIN JARVIS MANAGING DIRECTOR, YAMAHA MOTOR RACING First of all, I want to say that I‘m really sorry to have missed the team presentation event due to some health problems.

The team came to Madrid again this year, to be joined by Telefónica Spain for the unveiling of the new team colours, before embarking on the 2018 season challenge. This will be the fifth year that our team continues its partnership with Movistar. The collaboration has led to many successes in the past, including the Triple Crown in 2015 and the Team Title in 2016. We have celebrated our achievements together, but we also learned together when things didn‘t go our way.

During the upcoming pre-season testing we will not be sitting still either. We see the start of 2018 as chance to start afresh. We‘ll be taking new opportunities with both hands and have set the goal to push ourselves that bit further.

We also have a new team logo and updated livery features that visualise the strong partnership between Movistar and Yamaha. I‘m sure Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi are equally impatient as the fans to get the show back on the road. At Yamaha we‘re very much aware that, though riders are on their own when they head out on track, racing is essentially a group effort. The riders‘ dedication and commitment will be matched by that of our engineers and team staff, as well as the partners and sponsors, so I‘m looking forward to a competitive season.

LUIS MIGUEL GILPÉREZ PRESIDENT OF TELEFÓNICA ESPA��A Movistar has always been tied to sports, and especially to motorcycling, which represents one of the main axes of content and sponsorship that we‘ve harvested big successes in.

Motorcycling is in the DNA of our brand, and we share the same values with Yamaha. Effort, discipline, overcoming challenges, commitment, teamwork and the passion for innovation – these values have laid the foundation for the success of our association.

For Movistar, MotoGP is a way of being closer to the public, the young people, and the new promising talents of the sport, who we‘ve always supported.

We have a unique project and no other company or TV channel in the MotoGP World Championship can match with our sponsorship of the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team, our sponsorship at the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón, and with Movistar+‘s MotoGP broadcast rights of television for Spain, which allows us to offer the races to fans, using a technology never seen before, giving a totally different user experience. Last year was a very relevant year for Telefónica, and 2018 is shaping up to be exciting as well. I‘m sure that our successful partnership with the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team is going to be able to push the limits and obtain a great number of victories. We are with the best team, with the best riders, and we offer the best television broadcast to watch the victories of the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team.

VALENTINO ROSSI MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP RIDER I had a great time today! The team presentation is special every year, also for me, because when you see your bike in the new colours, you start to feel excited. During the winter break I always miss riding my M1, and after seeing it today I want to ride it as soon as possible. I only have to wait a few more days!

Sincerely, I‘m looking forward to starting the new season. Last year, I had one win and six podiums, but also some problems and injuries. We want to make our fifth year with Movistar memorable, so this year we will be pushing as hard as we can. The test in Sepang will be important. It‘s the first opportunity for my guys to get together this year, which will be fun, but we‘ll soon get serious, because we want to get an idea of our level as soon as possible.

MAVERICK VIÑALES MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP RIDER After more than two months of waiting, we are finally kicking off the new season. I‘ve been working hard to prepare for the start of the new season and I‘m looking forward to riding my M1 again. The bike, the new colour scheme, and also the new team logo look good, so judging by the looks of the team, we are ready to begin testing.

Last year we had a really strong start at the first few rounds and we finished third in the championship. This year we‘ll try to improve on what we did last year. We have a really good team, so I think it‘s only natural that we aim for the win in every race and ultimately for the championship title, but of course we‘ll only achieve this if we stay focused every session and push as hard as we can. We‘ll be giving the 2018 bike a try in Sepang in a few days‘ time, which is also where we held our last test of 2017. We‘ll use that data to start the season in the best way possible. The first time you start the engine and hear the sound of your new bike is something special – it will be the sound of the new season. I‘m looking forward to a great year!

2018 New Yamaha Tracer 900 and Tracer 900GT

[mamusiq]

The Sound of Silence

"The Sound of Silence", originally "The Sounds of Silence", is a song by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel. The song was written by Paul Simon over a period of several months in 1963 and 1964. A studio audition led to the duo signing a record deal with Columbia Records, and the song was recorded in March 1964 at Columbia Studios in New York City for inclusion on their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M..

Released in October 1964, the album was a commercial failure and led to the duo breaking apart, with Paul Simon returning to England and Art Garfunkel to his studies at Columbia University. In spring 1965, the song began to attract airplay at radio stations in Boston, Massachusetts, and throughout Florida. The growing airplay led Tom Wilson, the song's producer, to remix the track, overdubbing electric instrumentation. Simon & Garfunkel were not informed of the song's remix until after its release. The single was released in September 1965.

The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending January 1, 1966, leading the duo to reunite and hastily record their second album, which Columbia titled Sounds of Silence in an attempt to capitalize on the song's success. The song was a top-ten hit in multiple countries worldwide, among them Australia, Austria, West Germany, Japan and the Netherlands. Generally considered a classic folk rock song, the song was added to the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" in 2013 along with the rest of the Sounds of Silence album.

Originally titled "The Sounds of Silence" on the album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., the song was re-titled for later compilations beginning with Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

The song's origin and basis remain unclear, with multiple answers coming forward over the years. Many believe that the song commented on the John F. Kennedy assassination, as the song was released three months after the assassination.[4] Simon stated unambiguously in interviews however, "I wrote The Sound of Silence when I was 21 years old",[7][8] which places the timeframe firmly prior to the JFK tragedy, with Simon also explaining that the song was written in his bathroom, where he turned off the lights to better concentrate.[5] "The main thing about playing the guitar, though, was that I was able to sit by myself and play and dream. And I was always happy doing that. I used to go off in the bathroom, because the bathroom had tiles, so it was a slight echo chamber. I'd turn on the faucet so that water would run (I like that sound, it's very soothing to me) and I'd play. In the dark. 'Hello darkness, my old friend / I've come to talk with you again'."[9] In a more recent interview, Simon was directly asked, "How is a 21 year old person thinkin' about the words in that song?" His reply was, "I have no idea."[10] According to Garfunkel, Simon originally wrote the lyric as "Aloha darkness, my old friend."[11] Garfunkel once summed up the song's meaning as "the inability of people to communicate with each other, not particularly internationally but especially emotionally, so what you see around you are people unable to love each other."[5]

To promote the release of their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., the duo performed again at Folk City, as well as two shows at the Gaslight Café, which went over poorly. Dave Van Ronk, a folk singer, was at the performances, and noted that several in the audience regarded their music as a joke.[12] "'Sounds of Silence' actually became a running joke: for a while there, it was only necessary to start singing 'Hello darkness, my old friend...' and everybody would crack up."[13]Wednesday Morning, 3 AM sold only 3,000 copies upon its October release, and its dismal sales led Simon to move to London, England.[14] While there, he recorded a solo album, The Paul Simon Songbook (1965), which features a rendition of the song, titled "The Sounds of Silence".[15]

The original recording of the song is in D♯ minor, using the chords D♯m, C♯, B and F♯. Simon plays a guitar with a capo on the sixth fret, using the shapes for Am, G, F and C chords.[16] The vocal span goes from C♯4 to F♯5 in the song

Reception

In 1999, BMI named "The Sound of Silence" as the 18th most-performed song of the 20th century. In 2004, it was ranked No. 157 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, one of the duo's three songs on the list. The song is now considered "the quintessential folk rock release".

On March 21, 2013, the song was added to the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress for long-term preservation along with the rest of the Sounds of Silence album.

In popular culture

When director Mike Nichols and Sam O'Steen were editing the 1967 film The Graduate, they initially timed some scenes to this song, intending to substitute original music for the scenes. However, they eventually concluded that an adequate substitute could not be found and decided to purchase the rights for the song for the soundtrack. This was an unusual decision for the time, as the song had charted over a year earlier and recycling established music for film was not commonly done.[35]

With the practice of using well-known songs for films becoming commonplace, "The Sound of Silence" has since been used for other films, such as Kingpin (1996), Old School (2003), Bobby (2006), Watchmen (2009), and Trolls (2016). In the German TV movie Ein Drilling Kommt Selten Allein the song was sung by grandparents to calm down crying triplets. It appeared on the fourth season of the television series Arrested Development in 2013 as a running gag of characters' inner reflections.

The Rush song "The Spirit of Radio" ends with a satirical homage to the final lines of "The Sound of Silence": "For the words of the profits were written on the studio wall, concert hall, and echoes with the sounds of salesmen".

In 2016 the song was further popularized by the "Sad Affleck" internet meme, which depicts Ben Affleck's reaction towards the negative reviews of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Simon and Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence 

as written by Paul Simon...

Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again, Because a vision softly creeping, Left its seeds while I was sleeping, And the vision that was planted in my brain Still remains Within the sound of silence In restless dreams I walked alone Narrow streets of cobblestone, 'Neath the halo of a street lamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light That split the night And touched the sound of silence And in the naked light I saw Ten thousand people, maybe more People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening, People writing songs that voices never share And no one dare Disturb the sound of silence "Fools" said I, "You do not know Silence like a cancer grows Hear my words that I might teach you, Take my arms that I might reach you" But my words like silent raindrops fell, And echoed in the wells of silence And the people bowed and prayed To the neon god they made And the sign flashed out its warning, In the words that it was forming And the sign said, "The words of the prophets Are written on the subway walls And tenement halls" And whispered in the sounds of silence

General Comment:

This is a great song that I love, and it is very intelligent and poetic.  The song uses the imagery of light and darkness to show how people's ignorance and apathy destroys their ability to communicate even on simple levels.   Its theme is man's inability to communicate with man. The author sees the extent of communication as it is on only its most superficial and "commercial" level (of which the "neon sign" is representative). There is no serious understanding because there is no serious communication - "people talking without speaking - hearing without listening". No one dares take the risk of reaching out ("take my arms that I might reach you") to disturb the sound of silence. The poet's (character in the song) attempts are equally futile (" . . . but my words like silent raindrops fell within the wells of silence"). The ending is an enigma. The words tell us that when meaningful communication fails, the only sound is silence.

General Comment: I interpret this song slightly different. I feel it is an allusion to Plato's "Allegory of the Cave." While the ideas of commercialism (the people bow and pray to a neon god they made, the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, etc) run throughout the poem, it also has to do with a frustration the narrator feels with humans in general. They are content to "hear without listening," not willing or interested in focusing on anyone or anything too intently. They are not willing to go beyond the superficial, but merely to accept the world around them, as no one "dares disturb the sounds of silence." The allusion comes into play in the beginning, as the narrator has a revelation, a vision, that awakes him from this superficial, merely shadowed world. He rises, walks alone as the man in Plato's story did, and he sees the light. He tries to tempt others out of the cave of ignorance and look beyond teh surface of things, but his "words like silent raindrops" fall. His attempts are futile. That's what I got out of the song, my two cents ^_^ An amazing song no matter how you interpret it!

General Comment:  The song sound of silence is a lyric that uses imagery and symbolism very heavily. The story of it is that the author has a dream about ten thousand people bowing to a god they made of neon light. The god represents the fake and shallow culture they are building on pop stars and the dollar bill. The media “talks without speaking” and the people “hear without listening” there is a cancer of silence which represents a widespred lack of meaning, in music namely. This is an extreemly well written poem and a good view on what is happening to the media. The so called artists are putting less and less art in their work.Their is mass prostitution of art happening in our culture and we all sit happily starring at the neon light and ignore the real art. I heard a good a good quote the other day i have eno idea who said it but I’ll close with it. “For the culture that tolerates shottyness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity and ignores excellence in plumbing because it is a humble activity. This is their fate. Neither their pipes nor it’s theories will hold water.”

Song Meaning

I think that this song is about a struggle to share and exchange MEANINGFUL ideas. The people “talking without speaking” and “hearing without listening” are too afraid to share their deep and personal ideas or consider the ideas of others. A person’s refusal to share or receive meaningful ideas dissuades others from sharing meaningful ideas, which leaves people isolated in a personal bubble of silence. When people are too afraid to open up and disturb their comfortable bubble of silence, all that is left for everyone to see is the neon light — the glaringly obvious and superficial. As for the ending, I think it is an anthropomorphized neon sign warning the silent people that “the words of the prophets”, or ideas that used to be incredibly meaningful, are “written on the subway walls and tenement halls” — are now written in crappy public places alongside posters, dirt, and graffiti. The meaning has been lost. The words and ideas they conveyed are now no more important than any other carelessly scribbled message.  And yet, and yet. These important words are also “whispered in the sounds of silence”. I personally like to think this means that, though much of what we blather on about today in school, in the media, with our friends, ect... is not very meaningful, we DO still reach out to one another; people ARE still capable of sharing great ideas (as is required of great philosophers and inventors and builders) even if only in whispers. And perhaps one day, when someone has an idea which is very important to them, they will not feel too intimidated to open up and share that idea or have that idea challenged by someone else’s idea.

http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/7354/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sound_of_Silence