Latest news with #Tami
Newsroom
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsroom
The revival of a genre that never went away
Once considered niche and tucked away in dusty record stores or rural community halls, country music in New Zealand is enjoying something of a golden moment. From chart-topping Kiwi artists to two dedicated music stations in the past 18 months, the genre is striking a heartfelt chord with more people than ever before. Mark Rogers, host of Nashville Babylon on RNZ, grew up listening to country music, from Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash to Marty Robbins, and tells The Detail that it's all about the storytelling. 'As a kid, the songs and storytelling caught my imagination,' he says. 'The songs have no fat on them, they cut to the chase straight away, they are pretty simple, there's nothing too complicated about them, you know exactly where you are. 'And the classic country songs have something in them that will appeal to just about everyone. They hit home. They are easy to get and understand. People can identify with them. 'It's rare that they are talking about big flash cars or billion-dollar jewellery. It's the working man's music – that's been its appeal for many, many decades, and that will continue to ring true.' Kiwis, it seems, are falling more in love with the genre. And over the past 18 months, this has prompted the launch of not one, but two dedicated country music radio stations in New Zealand. First, broadcaster Mike Puru started Southern Cross Country, found on digital platforms. Then this month, NZME launched iHeartCountry NZ, offered on the iHeartRadio app and selected FM frequencies around the country. There are no presenters, just pre-programmed country music. Both stations showcase global legends and local voices. Among those voices, one name stands out: Tami Neilson. The Canadian-born, New Zealand-based powerhouse has been a trailblazer for years and has just won the inaugural Country Music Honour for Contribution to Country Music in Aotearoa, recognising her outstanding impact and unwavering dedication to the country music scene. 'What Tami is doing at the moment is astounding; she has been teaming up with Willie Nelson over in the States, which is a dream come true for her,' Rogers says. 'It's incredible and I'm super proud of what she is achieving…. I would like to think she will get on the (mainstream radio) playlists, because what she is doing is absolutely fantastic. The songs are great, and radio loves a good song, so there is no excuse not to play Tami.' But she is competing for airtime with unlikely country singers, including Beyonce and Post Malone, who have swapped pop and rap, respectively, for country beats. 'This has just exploded, and I think it's a good thing,' Rogers says. 'Admittedly, I'm not a massive fan of some of it, but I'm a big fan of others. 'I don't think it's cheapened the genre at all; it's just music developing.' And it's clear Kiwis want more of it, proving country music in New Zealand isn't just surviving. It's thriving. Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
Scoop
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Legendary Artist Willie Nelson Congratulates Tami Neilson In Beautiful Tribute Video
In a special addition to Gore's annual Country Music Honours on Friday 23 May, audiences witnessed the emotive debut of the Country Music Honour for Contribution to Country Music in Aotearoa. The inaugural recipient of this award was the acclaimed Tami Neilson, who was recognised for her outstanding impact and unwavering dedication to the country music scene - in front of a sold out theatre in NZ's country music capital. The Honour took Neilson by complete surprise as she stood on stage to watch a beautiful tribute video featuring Jesse Mulligan (RNZ), the Topp Twins, her Canada-based brother Todd Neilson, and the one and only Willie Nelson. Overcome with emotion during her acceptance speech, Neilson bid farewell to her fake lashes mid-sentence as she thanked the country music community for decades of support. The video opened with artists and industry members describing Tami's voice in a few words, such as 'rich and captivating' (Teresa Patterson, Head of Music, NZ On Air) and 'lungs of gold,' (award-winning songwriter Ebony Lamb). The Topp Twins, Dame Jools and Lynda Topp, reminisced on their instant love of Tami's music and the pride they feel in watching her climb the ranks and keep the door kicked open for the emerging artists behind her. In the tear filled theatre, Tami watched the video conclude with the whakatauki 'ka mua ka kite a muri,' from fellow country artist Nicola Mitchell, just before Tami's songwriting hero Willie Nelson appeared on screen to offer the English translation; Those who lead, give light to those who follow. The Honour followed a huge week for Neilson, with the announcement of her nationwide Neon Cowgirl tour and her new single 'Borrow My Boots' being added to rotation on NZME's new country music radio station; iHeartCountry New Zealand. Despite being one of the most significant figures to ever emerge from country music stages in Aotearoa New Zealand, this is the first time Tami's music has been playlist on commercial terrestrial radio in New Zealand. A moment that marks the beginning of a new era for an artist who has fiercely carved her own path in the music industry for over thirty years. The Country Music Honours are delivered by the NZ Songwriter's Trust, which is led by Gore local Vanessa Harvey. The Honour for Contribution to Country Music fills an important gap in the local music industry, acknowledging those both on and off the stage who have contributed to the growth of the country music genre. Vanessa shares, 'This recognition for Tami is well overdue and we feel so privileged to have had her in Gore for the Country Music Honours this year. New Zealand audiences and artists have been inspired and uplifted by her for decades and there is nobody more fitting for our first Country Music Honour for Contribution to Country Music.' The Honours are rapidly becoming a calendar staple for many music lovers and are one of over 70 events in Gore's 10 day Bayleys Tussock Country Music Festival - held in Gore in late May each year. The Country Music Honour for APRA Best Country Song was awarded to Holly Arrowsmith for 'Blue Dreams' and the Country Music Honour for the MLT Songwriting Award to Nicola Mitchell, Byllie-Jean Zeta, and Em-Hayley Walker (Theia, Te Kaahu) for their waiata 'Wā/Time'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Friendship' star Kate Mara talks awkward mother-son kiss on the lips in film, which was her idea
While Kate Mara is best known for her work in dramas like The Martian and House of Cards, she's particular joy to watch in the comedy Friendship, which made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), starring alongside Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd. Written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, Mara proves that she's equally as skilled with witty, awkward humour. Mara plays Tami, wife of Robinson's character Craig. As the movie begins we see the couple at a support group for cancer survivors. Tami, a florist, is currently in remission. When Tami sends Craig out to a neighbour's home to deliver a package that was accidently left at their house, Criag meets Austin (Rudd), a local weatherman. They start spending time together, drinking beers one night and foraging for mushrooms another day, and it's an exciting development for Craig, who was lacking friendship. But when Austin invites Craig over for a night with his other friends, he ends up embarrassing himself to the point where it shifts his friendship with Austin. While initially Tami seems like the more serious one next to Craig's oddity, we quickly see Mara's comedy shine, especially when it comes to Tami's relationship with her son Steven, played by Jack Dylan Grazer. An early awkward laugh is when Tami and her teenage son kiss on the mouth, which was actually Mara's idea. Craig's response is, "You guys kiss on the mouth?" Showing that he's even an outcast in his own home. "It's one of those things where you go, 'Oh, is that OK? He's old, right?'" Mara told Yahoo Canada. "I just thought it was so funny because Tami and her husband never kiss in the movie, there's no affection. We don't even hold hands." "So I just thought that the contrast between them and their lack of physicality, and then her son being so touchy feely with her, was just hysterical." Mara added that Jack was "hysterical" to work with. "He's maybe the most energetic human I've ever met and he's so smart. He's really quick," she said. "We just thought ... their characters needed to be incredibly close and bonded to a point of where you do kind of go, 'Wait. Why is that so connected and then the other two are not at all.' That was really fun." With the script really attracting Mara to the film, she praised DeYoung's approach to comedy. "From the second I met him, what a lovely human and the best energy, and he's so smart," Mara said. "I just thought his script was so great, but ... he wanted to approach it like he was making a drama, like he was making The Master, which is so funny and unexpected, and so specific." "You never want to play for laughs, ... but if you're making a comedy, obviously that's what you're hoping for. So if you take that away from it and you just do the scene in a real way, that's how we approached it, and it was just such a great environment." DeYoung has said that he strives to treat his audience like "intelligent" viewers. "I just feel like there are a lot of safe choices that don't respect the audience," DeYoung told IndieWire. "It's so nice to feel respected by a filmmaker, even if I don't like the movie or agree with what it's trying to do. If it feels like it's trying to do something and treat us as the intelligent people that I like to imagine we are, I'll respect it. A lot of films really sell out the audience and treat us dumber than we are." Mara has a similar sentiment to DeYoung, highlighting that it's particularly common for films to "spell everything out" for its audience. "It's just so common now, just to really overwrite, talk too much and really, yes, spell everything out," Mara said. "And not just in TV, but in film, really spell everything out for the audience." "It's so much more interesting when you just let people come up with the things on their own and trust that the people watching are going to understand what you're not saying. I do think the way he handled that was so smart, and it obviously works."
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Good Samaritan and Palliative Care to host Family Fun Fair
VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— Good Samaritan Hospital and Palliative Care have teamed up to host a Family Fun Fair to raise awareness for grief support services. The event is to be held in honor of members of the community who have gone through tremendous loss. The event will take place on June 7 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Highland Woods Park. The event will offer a slew of activities for families including: Inflatables and bounce houses · Face painting · Carnival games · Food trucks · Dunk tank · Contests and prizes · A cornhole tournament Wristbands for children will be $15 and will allow access to all the inflatables and carnival games. Proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Good Grief Support Group and Camp Memiki, a grief camp for children. Makenzie Barrett, RN, Nurse Manager for Hospice and Palliative Care at Good Samaritan, said the event is a chance to celebrate life while raising awareness. 'Grief can be an isolating experience,' Barrett said. 'Our goal is to let people know they are not alone, and that support is available. The Family Fun Fair is a joyful way to connect with our community and spread that message.' The Good Samaritan Grief Support Group meets every other Thursday at 6 p.m. EST in the Cancer Pavilion located at 520 South Seventh Street and is open to anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one. After losing her daughter unexpectedly in 2022, people like Vincennes resident Tami Kinman have used the group to deal with the immense feelings of grief. 'I thought I knew grief,' Tami shared. 'But nothing prepared me for the overwhelming pain of losing my daughter. It completely broke me.' Now, more than a year later, Tami has said how much the group helped save her from that grief. 'The people in that room knew what it felt like to be broken,' she said. 'They helped me find tools to cope. Honestly, I believe this group helped save my life.' To learn more about the event or to support Good Samaritan's grief services, you can visit this link. Individuals seeking support can also call Hospice at 812-885-8035. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Metro
06-05-2025
- Metro
British student ‘stabbed to death by roommate' after ‘row over a cat'
The roommate of a British student who was days away from graduating as a nurse has been charged with murder after she was found stabbed to death. Elizabeth Tamilore Odunsi was found with multiple stab wounds at her flat in Houston, Texas, on April 26. The 23-year-old, from London, was studying at Texas Woman's University to specialise as a neonatal nurse. Police noticed blood outside of her apartment after they we were called over concerns for her welfare. Elizabeth was found on the kitchen floor with 28 stab wounds and found dead at the scene. Chester Lamar Grant, 40, was found in a bedroom with one stab wound and taken to hospital in critical condition. He has since been charged with Elizabeth's murder. Grant allegedly stabbed Odunsi 28 times over a disagreement involving his cat, according to local news reports. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to help Elizabeth's family bring her body back to the UK. The fundraiser said: 'She moved from the UK to the United States to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse, dedicating herself to a life of care and service. 'Tami had a special love for children and always dreamed of making a difference in young lives through her future work in healthcare. 'Outside of her studies, she brought joy to others through her love for creating content and expressing her vibrant personality. 'Tragically, Tami was brutally murdered just days before she was set to graduate from university—an unimaginable loss at a moment that should have marked the beginning of a bright and promising future.' check our news page.
