Music and Youth
Hip hop outfit triumphs at Japan’s MTV awards
SINGAPORE: Last night Japanese hip hop group Rip Slyme won kudos at the second annual MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2003 (VMAJ 2003). The group won three awards for the best video of the year; the best group video; and the best hip hop video this year.
The group was the 2002 winner of the best new artist and the best hip hop at the inaugural show last year. The three-hour event will premiere on MTV South East Asia on 27 June at 8 pm.
An official release informs that the programme which featured Japanese and international presenters and performances is the only international music event and award ceremony in the land of the rising sun this year. Portions of the show will also be available through MTV’s 38 channels around the world and through syndication, reaching a potential viewing audience of over 377.1 million households in 164 territories.
MTV fans and viewers voted for their favourite local and international artists in 14 different categories from April till May 2003 via the MTV Web site (www.mtvjapan.com) and via the official mobile phone site (MTV Mobile).
Hosted by hip hop artist Zeebra and pop singer/actress Nana Katase, the event saw performances from international acts Blue, Craig David, Run-D.M.C and Eve along with Japanese acts 175R, Chemistry, Crystal Kay, M-Flo, Rip Slyme, Rize, Sketch Show, Sphere of Influence and Supercar.
International celebrity presenters included Courtney Love, Johnny Knoxville. Keanu Reeves, Jada Pinkett Smith, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving, Joel Silver from the box office smash Matrix Reloaded were also on hand.
Unlike other awards ceremonies, the VMAJ 2003 gives music fans the opportunity to select Japanese and international artists in the same category fields. Finalists in each of the 14 categories were selected by MTV Japan viewers and the special selection committee.
Any Japanese or international artist who released a CD in Japan between 1 March 2002 and 28 February 2003 and also produced a music video was eligible for VMAJ 2003 nomination.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
