English Entertainment
Dixie Chicks make nice with five Grammys
MUMBAI: Sounds from legendary artists as well as new faces made the 49th Annual Grammy Awards an event that was full of surprises.
Former American Idol winner Carrie Underwood took home the Best New Artist award while the Dixie Chicks received the Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal GRAMMY Awards.
In India the event will air tonight on Star World at 8 pm.
The show began with one of the most famous rock bands, the Police. The trio of Stewart Copeland, Sting and Andy Summers performed Roxanne. Sting’s voice hit all the right notes, Summers’ familiar reggae guitar lines soared through the auditorium, and Copeland blasted the song’s Afro-Cuban influenced beat with typical rhythmic glee. Updating the arrangement with a dubbed out space jam mid-song, the Police couldn’t stop the entire auditorium from joining them in the song’s driving chorus.
Introduced by the legendary Joan Baez, who referred to them as “three brave women,” the Dixie Chicks performed their charged Not Ready To Make Nice. Led by Natalie Maines, fellow Chicks Emily Robison and Martie Maguire pulled off an almost defiant performance.
Beyoncé performed Listen from the Dreamgirls soundtrack. Accompanied by a full string section, Beyoncé soared through the song’s lyrical imagery and emotional lyrics.
Prefacing his What Goes Around Comes Around with a prerecorded video statement, Justin Timberlake called the track “the best song I have written so far,” saying that “it just flowed out.” Timberlake proved that he didn’t need to work the stage either, initially performing the song on upright piano before finally taking center stage with a mini-cam, which he used to shoot his own performance, up close and personal.
Underwood and Rascal Flatts joined for a country music tribute, covering the songs of Bob Wills and the Eagles. Underwood,paid her respects to Wills by performing his San Antonio Rose as an overhead video screen showed clips of the country innovator. Rascal Flatts followed with a version of Hotel California. Then, Underwood performed Desperado, turning its gentle imagery into a power rock showcase, before Rascal Flatts returned to belt out Life In The Fast Lane.
Performances by Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie and Christina Aguilera proved that old-school soul still lives, with upstart Chris Brown doing his best Olympic calisthenics for the younger crowd.
In terms of some of the other awards Best Female Pop Vocal Performance went to Ain’t No Other Man by Christina Aguilera. The male award went to Waiting On The World To Change by John Mayer. Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal went to My Humps by The Black Eyed Peas. Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals went to For Once In My Life by Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder. Best Pop Instrumental Performance
went to Mornin’ to George Benson and Al Jarreau.
Rock legend Bob Dylan won in the solo rock performance category for Someday Baby. For rock group the award went to Dani California by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
