Sting was born in Wallsend, North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. In 1977 Gordon moved from Newcastle to London and met Stewart Copeland and Henry Padovani to form a new wave band called The Police. They enjoyed success from the late 70's to early 80's, releasing five albums, four of which topped the charts in the UK and one that topped the charts in the US also. They enjoyed huge success with their punk inspired sounds which developed into a minimalist reggae tinged rock/pop and had a plethora of hit singles including 'Message In A Bottle' 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' 'Every Breath You Take' and 'Walking On The Moon'.
The band unofficially parted after their final release 'Synchronicity' to focus on their solo careers. Sting's first solo gig was at Amnesty International's The Secret Policeman's Other Ball where he performed solo versions of tracks such as 'Roxanne' and 'Message In A Bottle'. In 1985, Sting finally released his debut record which featured a heavier lean towards jazz including the musicians Kenny Kirkland, Darryl Jones, Omar Hakim and Branford Marsalis. Once again, he enjoyed a number of hit singles from the record and within a year it had been awarded triple platinum. To add to the accolades Sting also received four Grammy nominations for 'The Dream Of Blue Turtles'.
Sting was part of the iconic Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' charity single which raised money for famine victims in Ethiopia and took part in the live aid concert the following year, playing a selection of The Police hits. His next album '...Nothing Like The Sun' mirrored the successes of his first, more hit singles, more Grammy Nominations and this time a Brit Award for Best Album. The following four releases all reached the top five of the UK charts and have now been certified as platinum selling. In 2007 he reunited with his Police bandmates as the introductory act for the 2007 Grammy Awards, singing 'Roxanne' and subsequently announced a huge worldwide tour which sold out almost instantly.
Sting has had multiple successes both with his band and as a solo artist. He has accumulated a total of sixteen Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards and several Oscar nominations for Best Original Song. He is known for his musical abilities but also his activism, becoming patrons for several charities including Elton John's AIDS foundation. He has sold over 100 million records to date.
For Asaf Avidan music was always secondary to his career. A trained animator, Avidan worked as a professional animator for years before being prompted to turn to his hobby for his livelihood. While bittersweet for Avidan, fans of the talented musician have his ex-girlfriend to thank for the extensive music he has brought into the world. Only heartbreak could give Asaf Avidan the creative jolt he needed to bring his talent into being and watch it shine.
In 2006, Avidan formed the famous folk rock group Asaf Avidan & The Mojos with Ran Nir, Yoni Sheleg, Roi Peled and Hadas Kleinman. The group became incredibly successful within Israel and played throughout the country to adoring crowds. During his time with the band, Asaf Avidan released three studio albums: “The Reckoning”, “Poor Boy / Lucky Man” and “Through the Gale”. The 2008 release, “The Reckoning”, went to the top of the Israeli album charts and did considerably well in France as well as other European countries.
In 2011 Avidan decided to break away from The Mojos and pursue an entirely solo career. The move was not a total shock to the band as Asaf Avidan had played extensively as a solo artist throughout his time with the band. Prior to releasing his debut solo album, Avidan toured Israel where he performed intimate acoustic shows. The extensive positive response he received from critics and fans alike paved the way for the release of his first studio album.
In 2012, Asaf Avidan released “Different Pulses”. The album was a top 30 hit in Belgium, France and Italy. Asaf Avidan has toured and collaborated with multiple artists including Robert Plant, Lou Reid and Bob Dylan.
Sting performing with the Philarmonic Orchestra of Gran Canaria was such a special night. It was a balmy evening in July, in an open air stadium when the sounds of Every Little Thing she does is Magic starts then Sting hits the stage wearing a black jacket, black trousers and a white shirt. This concert was so unique as he was accompanied by a philarmonic Orchestra and his own band, rocking out some of the old Police songs and many of his own. The Spanish audience went wild when he Sang Englishman in New York and changed the words to Englishman in Gran Canaria. When he sang Fields of Gold, When We Dance and Shape of My Heart, I was so engrossed in the atmosphere I could hardly see the stage through the tears. All night the Spanish audience never missed a single word (the lyrics being sung by everyone in the crowd) and they clapped for over 2 hours, with a short break in the middle. The orchestra managed to adapt many of the well known UK hit songs including Mad About You, Roxanne, Message in a Bottle and many more. He may now be 60 years old but his voice and emotion have never wavered over the years; it was a truly magnificent concert.
Yvonne360
Asaf Avidan, one time frontman of Asaf Avidan and the Mojos and now a solo act is an enthralling gig to see live, drawing you in from the opening fingerpicked chords of “My Latest Sin.” The very first time you hear his voice you can’t quite believe it. It’s soulful, fragile, feminine, somewhere between Janis Joplin and Nina Simone. The emotion and passion he puts into his performance has the audience totally captivated, and all of a sudden the rather spacious auditorium feels so intimate. Later on he moves to the piano, which he plays with an exquisite classical touch. The songs also take on a different character, going from a stark, laid-bare fragility brought by the acoustic guitar accompaniment to a fuller, richer sound with the grand piano, although Asaf is always uncompromisingly soulful and heartfelt. A good singer-songwriter is ultimately a good storyteller, and the introduction to "Twisted Olive Branch," a story about Noah’s ark which Asaf relates to us in spoken word with sparse piano accompaniment is at once humorous, melancholic, and beautiful.
About two thirds of the way through Asaf’s set I look around and see several people in the audience with tears in their eyes. I think to myself, truly, here is an artist who is capable of reaching everybody in the room, and not only reaching them, but moving them deeply with his tales of anguish, wonder, love, betrayal and life.
philsomervell
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