Shakira launches soccer shirts for charity

Pop singer Shakira has launched a range of charity soccer shirts for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa.

She has teamed up with the UNICEF to promote the red and gold sportswear benefiting her global education fund, the Barefoot Foundation, reports aceshowbiz.com.

The Colombian star is also set to perform at the opening ceremony of the World Cup June 11. Her track Waka Waka (Time for Africa) a collaboration with local band FreshlyGround, has been chosen as the event's official anthem.

The grand opening ceremony will be held at Soccer City in the South African city of Johannesburg.

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Jon Bon Jovi become first ever band to perform on O2 rooftop

Jon Bon Jovi and his band kicked off their 12-date show at London's O2 Arena by performing live on the rooftop.

They became the first act to ever perform on top of the former Millennium Dome with the dare devil act, reported Daily Mail online. The Livin On A Prayer hitmakers performed on the roof of the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London to kick off their 12 night residency at the O2.

The rooftop gig was seen more clearly by fans through HD screens that were set up at Peninsula Square. Climbing onto the top of the arena proved to be quite a challenge though and the musicians were helped by trained mountaineers in their quest to reach the summit.

And Bon Jovi's concerts will be supported by an unsigned band from the Highlands, who won a competition to play ahead of the US rockers. The Side will play their first supporting act on Tuesday night after being selected from a shortlist of entries in the contest.

Despite the excitement of touring, Bon Jovi said before his rooftop show that he hates being away from his family.

"It's horrible when you are away touring, its terrible, you are away from everyone and it can be for long periods, but so are travelling salesmen and soldiers," he said.

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Indian impressionist scores on America's Got Talent

A 58-year-old Indian man, seeking his fortune in Hollywood qualified for the first round of auditions in the hugely popular reality show America's Got Talent with his impersonation of former action hero and current California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"I was about to make it in India as an actor so I left India and moved to the United States," said George Ronith during the Los Angeles auditions.

The aspiring actor, who imitated stars like Marlon Brando, Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery, said that he had been doing impressions for the past decade. Ronith's unique pronunciation of Schwarzenegger's name was a big hit with the crowd.

It was however difficult at times to figure out which celebrity was being mimicked but the audience had fun with it.

'I'll be back' from Terminator was one of the easy ones to recognize in the act which can now be viewed on YouTube. One of the judges, Piers Morgan, voted against Ronith going through to the next round in Las Vegas and called the aspiring actor, "the worst impressionist" he had ever seen.

"I have never been so pleased that somebody told us who they were doing as they went along because it would be quite difficult to get," said Piers, a former editor of British tabloids.

But the other two judges Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel liked the performance. "I think you are very unique," said Sharon Osbourne, a television personality and wife of rocker Ozzy Osbourne.

But Piers came out strongly against the performance and called the co-judges comments, "a load of absolute twaddle." "Obviously Piers does not have a trained ear," retorted Mandel, a Canadian actor and host of the hit show Deal Or No Deal.

Eventually with two votes, Ronith made it to the next round.

Unlike American Idol, which is exclusively a singing competition, America's Got Talent is a show open to all sorts of act from singers and dancers to gymnasts, magicians and ventriloquists.

A smattering of Indian acts have graced American and British talent shows in the past few years. The performances usually tend to be groups performing Bollywood dances to popular numbers. The show, which is now in its fifth season offers big prize is a million dollars and an exclusive show in Vegas.

Source : NDTV.com

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Brit awards are fixed, says Lily Allen

Singer Lily Allen has claimed that Brit awards are fixed and her 2010 gong for best female solo artist "means nothing".

The 25-year-old singer, who won award last week, said that four years ago she "would have died" for a Brit Award but now she considered it a "non-award".

The Smile hitmaker made the claims on the Sky Arts series In Confidence, the Telegraph reported. ITV and the Brit Trust, who organised the awards, have refuted Allen's claims.

"The Brit Awards is a TV show, and a record company executive makes deals with ITV and the producers about who wins what award in exchange for performance time," Allen said.

"I got one last week and it just meant absolutely nothing to me to be honest. It just became a non-award," she added.

However, a spokesman for the Brit Awards denied Allen's allegations, saying the process by which awards were given out as 100 per cent democratic.

More than 1,000 people voted for the awards and the results were monitored by the Electoral Reform Services. "This process makes it 100 per cent transparent and completely democratic," he said.

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Aguilera troubled to juggle between career and motherhood

Popstar Christina Aguilera finds it tough juggling her hectic schedule with the pressures of motherhood.

The 29-year-old singer
, who raises son Max with husband Jordan Bratman admits launching her new album, Bionic, and raising her baby at the same is proving difficult, People reported online.

"The toughest part is the schedule, balancing that between being a mommy and being able to still concentrate and focus on the work," Aguilera said.

The Genie in a Bottle hitmaker insists that although it's a big challenge, she is ready for it. "I'll go and tuck my son in at night and sing him to sleep [with] a lullaby, and then I go in the studio and sing. It's definitely a challenge and a balancing act, but one that I take on. I wouldn't have it any other way," Aguilera said.

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Pic of the Day - 8th June

Acrobatic performers Preston Jamieson and Kelsey Wiens perform atop the the Empire State Building 86th floor observation deck on May 21, 2010 to promore the official opening night performance of the new Cirque du Soleil show 'Banana Shpeel'. The show will run until August 29 at the Beacon Theatre. (Photo: AFP)

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