Barbra Streisand beats out Mariah Carey as No. 1: music news recap

(AFP PHOTO / MICHELE LIMINA)

(Relaxnews)

The music news of October 8, 2009: Barbra Streisand beats out Mariah Carey as No. 1; Live Earth producer to kick off World Cup Concert; MTV Networks Africa exceeds expectations.

Barbra Streisand beats out Mariah Carey as No. 1
For her ninth time, Barbra Streisand scores the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart with her new album, Love Is the Answer, a collection of classic ballads. Streisand's new album for Columbia Records, a collaboration with jazz pianist Diana Krall (and Elvis Costello's wife), earns her the lead for female acts with the most No. 1s and sold 180,000 copies so far. The appealing song selections from the American songbook, include: "Here's That Rainy Day," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," and "Make Someone Happy," composed by the team of Jules Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green (composed for Streisand's Funny Girl). With an appearance on "Oprah" to boost sales, the 67-year-old performer, garnered extensive press coverage for her rare show at New York's intimate Village Vanguard.

Live Earth producer to kick off World Cup Concert
The producer of Al Gore's Live Earth concerts around the world, Kevin Wall and Control Room, his company, were selected to produce the Official Kick-Off Celebration Concert of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa on June 10, 2010. The three-hour event at the 40,000-seat Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, happens the day before hosting the football (soccer) tournament. The line-up is to be determined, though Beyonce is rumored to be performing at this sports pageant along with major international superstars and popular African artists. It will broadcast to TV networks around the world.

MTV Networks Africa exceeds expectations
Since launching in 2005, MTV Base, a division of Viacom's MTV Networks Africa, has acquired 90 million viewers across Sub-Saharan Africa on both satellite and terrestrial platforms. This is 20 percent beyond company forecasts of 75 million viewers by 2010. The channel is distributed via the satellite pay-TV arm of South Africa's Naspers, and also through syndication deals with local TV stations in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. The next target is digital media distribution, said General Manager Alex Okosi, according the Hollywood Reporter. "People are recognizing that for them to really capture the emerging markets, Africa needs to be part of their mix."