Kalush Orchestra - Stefania (Official Video Eurovision 2022)

Pink Floyd release first new song since 1994 for Ukraine

Yahoo – AFP, April 7, 2022 

David Gilmour: 'We, like so many, have been feeling the fury and the frustration of this vile
act of an independent, peaceful democratic country being invaded and having its people
murdered by one of the world's major powers' (AFP/JOHN D MCHUGH) (JOHN D MCHUGH)

Pink Floyd have written their first new song in almost 30 years to support Ukrainians, the band announced on Thursday. 

"Hey, Hey, Rise-Up!" will be released on Friday, and be used to raise funds for humanitarian causes linked to the war. 

It samples Andriy Khlyvnyuk, from one of Ukraine's biggest bands BoomBox, singing in Sofiyskaya Square in Kyiv in a clip that went viral. 

Khlyvnyukh abandoned a world tour to return to Ukraine and help defend his country. 

"We, like so many, have been feeling the fury and the frustration of this vile act of an independent, peaceful democratic country being invaded and having its people murdered by one of the world's major powers," Pink Floyd said on their official Twitter feed. 

In a press release, band leader David Gilmour said he had been moved by Khlyvnyuk's video: "It was a powerful moment that made me want to put it to music." 

He was able to speak with Khlyvnyuk from his hospital bed in Kyiv, where the singer was recovering after being hit by shrapnel in a mortar attack, the record company said. 

"I played him a little bit of the song down the phone line and he gave me his blessing. We both hope to do something together in person in the future," Gilmour said. 

The image accompanying the song is of a sunflower, and was inspired by a viral video showing a Ukrainian woman insulting two armed Russian soldiers. 

In it, she tells the soldiers: "Take these seeds and put them in your pockets. That way sunflowers will grow when you all rest here." 

It is the first original music from Pink Floyd since 1994's "The Division Bell". 

Gilmour tweeted his opposition to the war soon after Russia's invasion, saying: "Putin must go". 

The band has also pulled their music from Russian and Belarusian streaming sites in protest at the invasion.

Canada indigenous teen covers Beatles' 'Blackbird' in Mi'kmaq language

Yahoo – AFP, June 4, 2019

Paul McCartney, seen in 2017, gave a shoutout to Canadian teenager Emma Stevens'
cover of "Blackbird" in her Mi'kmaq language during a concert in Kentucky (AFP Photo/
Kamil Krzaczynski)

Ottawa (AFP) - A Canadian teen and her classmates are earning praise including from Paul McCartney for their cover of the Beatles' classic "Blackbird," sung in her native Mi'kmaq language.

McCartney wrote the song, inspired by the civil rights movement, for the Beatles' 1968 "White Album."

With the help of teachers in Eskasoni, Nova Scotia, singer Emma Stevens, 16, and her classmates recorded the tender acoustic version to raise awareness about indigenous languages around the world at risk of disappearing.

A video of the performance quickly went viral after being posted to YouTube, where it has been viewed more than half a million times.

"There's an incredible version done by a Canadian girl. You see it on YouTube. It's in her native language," McCartney recently told a concert crowd in Lexington, Kentucky. "It's really cool."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also urged his followers on Twitter to "check it out."

After learning of McCartney's shoutout, Stevens said to the syndicated arts magazine show "q," on Canadian public broadcaster CBC, that she got so excited that she was almost moved to tears.

"I grew up listening to the Beatles every day. My dad is a super-fan," she said.

"My culture is one of the biggest things in my life," Stevens added. "So sharing it with others outside of the community, and people who don't speak Mi'kmaq and don't really understand it, it gives them a different perspective and shows them that our language is very beautiful."

Her music teacher Carter Chiasson, who organized the recording, echoed Stevens' remarks in an interview with AFP, saying: "We're hoping that this recording brings awareness to the importance of preserving indigenous languages and culture."

He said that "so many of them are endangered and could disappear within a few generations."

There are more than 70 indigenous languages still spoken in Canada, divided into 12 distinct language families, according to government data.

Census figures show the total number of native speakers is 260,000, out of a total indigenous population of 1.6 million. Three out of four are classified by the UN cultural agency UNESCO as endangered.

Some of the languages such as Kutenai are spoken by as few as 170 people while others, like Cree, are spoken by as many as 96,000.

Mi'kmaq is one of the most common Algonquian languages, spoken by 9,000 indigenous people.

A public inquiry into murdered indigenous women on Monday recommended that Ottawa recognize indigenous languages as official languages of Canada, alongside French and English.

Two acts to preserve indigenous languages and to bring Canadian laws into harmony with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples are now before the Senate.

'Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin dies at 76

Yahoo – AFP, Jeff Kowalsky, with Jennie Matthew in New York, August 16, 2018

Aretha Franklin's hits spanned the genres, from soul to R&B, gospel and
pop (AFP Photo/Saul LOEB)

Detroit (AFP) - Aretha Franklin, the music icon, legendary singer and "Queen of Soul" loved by millions whose history-making career spanned six decades, died on Thursday, her longtime publicist announced. She was 76.

She influenced generations of female singers with unforgettable hits including "Respect" (1967), "Natural Woman" (1968) and "I Say a Little Prayer" (1968). She passed away at home in Detroit from advanced pancreatic cancer.

The multiple Grammy winner cemented her place in US music history with a powerful, bell-clear voice that stretched over four octaves. In a career crossing generations, her hits spanned soul and R&B, to gospel and pop.

Franklin passed away at 9:50 am (1350 GMT) surrounded by her family and loved ones, her family said in a statement issued by her publicist.

"It is with deep and profound sadness that we announce the passing of Aretha Louise Franklin, the Queen of Soul," the statement said.

"In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart.

"We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds."

The family thanked fans around the world for their "incredible outpouring of love" since it first emerged earlier this week that she was gravely ill.

"We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on."

The 18-time Grammy award winner inspired multiple singers during her five-decade career from pop diva Mariah Carey and the late Whitney Houston, to Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and the late Amy Winehouse.

Franklin -- who was widely known by only her first name, in true 
diva style -- rose from singing gospel in her father's church to regularly 
topping rhythm and blues and pop charts in the 1960s and 
1970s (AFP Photo/HO)

'National treasure'

In 1987, she became the first woman ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine put her at the top of its list of the 100 greatest singers of all time, male or female.

She sang at the inaugurations of presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, singing "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at the investiture of the country's first African-American head of state.

In a heartfelt tribute from the Obamas, the former president and his wife Michelle praised Franklin's "unmatched musicianship," which they said "helped define the American experience."

"Every time she sang, we were all graced with a glimpse of the divine," the Obamas said in a statement. "In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade -- our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. She helped us feel more connected to each other, more hopeful, more human."

"And sometimes she helped us just forget about everything else and dance."

US President Donald Trump called the singer "terrific," saying "she brought joy to millions of lives and her extraordinary legacy will thrive and inspire many generations to come."

Clinton and his wife, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, on Thursday hailed her as "one of America's greatest national treasures."

"For more than 50 years, she stirred our souls. She was elegant, graceful, and utterly uncompromising in her artistry," they said.

Singers and musicians quickly flooded social media in mourning her passing, which came on the same day that fellow US music giant Elvis Presley died at his home in Memphis, the city where Franklin was born, 41 years ago.

Paul McCartney‏ called Franklin an inspiration and "the Queen of our souls," while Diana Ross hailed her "wonderful golden spirit."

US President Barack Obama fist bumps with singer Aretha Franklin, who he said 

"helped define the American experience" (AFP Photo/MARK WILSON)

'Unmatched'

Fellow soul superstar Patti LaBelle praised Franklin as "a rare treasure whose unmatched musical genius helped craft the soundtrack to the lives of so many."

Franklin -- who was widely known by only her first name, in true diva style -- rose from singing gospel in her father's church to regularly topping rhythm and blues and pop charts in the 1960s and 1970s.

Other than "Respect," her powerful cover of the Otis Redding tune that became a feminist anthem and her calling card, Franklin had dozens of Top 40 singles, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Other hits include "Day Dreaming" (1972), "Jump to It" (1982), "Freeway of Love" (1985), and "A Rose Is Still A Rose" (1998). A 1986 duet with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)," hit number one in several countries.

Franklin's declining health was first disclosed on the Showbiz 411 website late Sunday by Roger Friedman, a reporter and family friend.

The Detroit News later reported that she was in hospice care, as artists from across the musical spectrum offered well wishes to the singer who lived in Detroit -- the Motor City, home of Motown -- most of her life.

In 2005, Franklin was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the highest award for an American civilian -- by then-president George W. Bush.

In 2010, she suffered serious health problems, but continued to perform until late last year, singing last in November 2017 for the Elton John AIDS Foundation in New York. That same year, Detroit named a street after her.

Canada makes national anthem gender neutral

Yahoo – AFP, February 2, 2018

Two words were amended in Canada's national anthem, "O Canada," making the 

song gender neutral and incurring the wrath of conservatives and traditionalists

 (AFP Photo/DON EMMERT)

Ottawa (AFP) - Canadians will soon be singing a new tune after parliament passed a bill to change the lyrics of the national anthem to make it gender neutral.

Only one line in O Canada was amended, from "True patriot love in all thy sons command" to "True patriot love in all of us command."

But it has caused quite a stir.

"It's about two words," Senator Frances Lankin told reporters. "But it's huge in terms of one of our major national symbols, the anthem we sing with pride about our country."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the move "another positive step towards gender equality," while feminist author Margaret Atwood, who has been pressing for this since the 1980s, tweeted her thanks to lawmakers.

Others decried the new lyrics and vowed to continue to sing the older version.

"Disappointed to hear the Liberals changed our national anthem. Somethings (sic) shouldn't change," said MP Bob Saroya in a Twitter message.

The late MP Mauril Belanger had proposed the change to the English language version of the anthem.

Belanger was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, shortly after his party, under Trudeau, took power in 2015.

The proposal passed the House two months before Belanger's death in 2016, and late Wednesday the Senate added its support for the bill.

Now it needs only the governor general's signature to become law, which is a formality, but a date for that has not yet been set.

"It will receive royal ascent in due course," Sabrina Atwal, spokeswoman for government House leader Bardish Chagger, told AFP.

The French version of O Canada, which has not been revised, was originally commissioned by Quebec's lieutenant governor in 1880. The English version followed in 1906.

In 1914 the phrase "thou dost in us command" was changed to "in all thy sons command." A verse was added a decade later.

There have been several attempts in recent decades to further amend the lyrics of the song -- which only officially became Canada's anthem in 1980 -- but they all failed largely due to the entrenched opposition of Conservative lawmakers.

Today the anthem is sung at the beginning of sporting events and in schools across Canada at the start of classes, often mixing both French and English versions.

2016 begins and ends with music deaths

Yahoo – AFP, December 26, 2016

Fans of British singer David Bowie were stunned by his death on January 10, just
two days after releasing an acclaimed album, "Blackstar" (AFP Photo/FRANCK FIFE)

New York (AFP) - Pop superstar George Michael's death over the Christmas holidays caps one of the most tragic years in memory for the music world which mourned a steady stream of top names.

Here are some of the prominent musicians who died over the momentous year:

-- DAVID BOWIE. The rock icon's fans were stunned by his death on January 10, just two days after releasing an acclaimed album, "Blackstar," on his 69th birthday. Bowie, musically innovative until the end, had been battling cancer but his illness was known to few outside his immediate family.

-- GLENN FREY. The co-founder and frontman of the Eagles died on January 18 at age 67 after years of poor health. With the massive success of tracks such as "Hotel California," the country-tinged rockers were among the best-selling acts in US history.

-- PAUL KANTNER. The co-founder and creative force of Jefferson Airplane, whose psychedelic sound was a soundtrack to the 1960s hippie era, died on January 28 at age 74 after a heart attack.

-- MAURICE WHITE. The founder of Earth, Wind & Fire crafted tight pop songs out of funk, with the band becoming one of the top-selling acts of all time and among the first African American groups to win a wide white audience. The 74-year-old died on February 4 after suffering for years from Parkinson's disease.

-- KEITH EMERSON AND GREG LAKE. Emerson, one of rock's original keyboard stars who infused concerts with on-stage theatrics such as playing upside-down, killed himself in his Los Angeles area home at age 71 on March 11. Bassist and singer Greg Lake, his bandmate in progressive rock trio Emerson, Lake & Palmer, died in London of cancer on December 7 at age 69.

-- PHIFE DAWG: The snide rapper from A Tribe Called Quest, a group that brought a new artistic sensibility to hip-hop, died on March 22 at 45 after a lifelong struggle with diabetes.

-- MERLE HAGGARD. The country music legend, a self-styled outlaw whose music gave voice to disaffected conservatives in the hippie era, died on April 6 on his 79th birthday.

Prince, one of the most influential and successful artists

 of the 1980s, died on April 21 at 57 (AFP Photo/

BERTRAND GUAY)

-- PRINCE. One of the most influential and successful artists of the 1980s, the "Purple Rain" star died on April 21 at 57 at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota from an accidental overdose of powerful painkillers. Prince, who popularized his own brand of sensual and danceable funk, was prolific in his output but also famously reclusive. With his marathon shows, he had appeared outwardly to be a model of health.

-- LEONARD COHEN. The poet and singer, whose meditations on love and spirituality had won him an impassioned if niche audience, died on November 7 at 82, with his family quietly burying him in his native Montreal before announcing the news. In a parallel to Bowie, Cohen just weeks earlier had released an acclaimed album, ominously entitled "You Want It Darker."

-- SHARON JONES. The fiery soul and funk singer, who rose to fame at a late age and came to be called the female James Brown, died on November 18 of cancer at age 60.

-- RICK PARFITT. The hard-charging, hard-living guitarist from Status Quo died on December 24 at age 68 following an infection.

-- GEORGE MICHAEL. The singer, one of the brightest lights of giddy 1980s pop with the duo Wham! before a more introspective and troubled solo career, died at his home outside London at age 53, apparently on December 25. The "Careless Whisper" singer had numerous health scares and drug-related incidents late in his life.

British singer George Michael, who sold more than 100 million albums in

his career, has died aged 53 (AFP Photo/LEON NEAL)

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"Numerology" (3) - Dec 10 - 11, 2016 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - New


"THE THREE WINDS" – Feb 23-24, 2013 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Humanity, Home - other side of the veil, Wind of Birth - Birth, Wind of Existence - Life, Wind of Transition - Death) - (Text version)

“… The Human Spiritual System

The puzzle during your life is about how much of this truth of being part of the creator you can accept. How far can you open the quantum door to see this truth when you are alive? This single attribute determines how enlightened you become during life. Listen: It's not how much knowledge and experience in is your Akash, but how much you allow yourself to believe it. There are many old souls on this planet who have an amazing amount of spiritual learning, yet they don't want to touch that "spiritual jar" within them at this point in their lives. This is the free choice of the Human Being we speak about.

There is immense planning that puts you at the Wind of Birth. What did you accomplish during the last lives, if anything? Who were you and what did you do? What energies did you start that were not complete that you wish to continue? What soul group were you in? Who were your parents? Are you in certain soul agreements to become their grandchildren? That is more common than you think! There are so many things that go into the planning of the "entry energy" of your life, and each life potential is different and unique. The planning is done by you when you have "the mind of God" on my side of the veil.

Humans don't like the fact that there is no generic spiritual instruction manual that states, "Here is what happens and here is what to do." Listen, dear ones, humanity is honored way above that! Are all your children the same? Do books on how to raise children always work for your child? The answer is no, because each soul is totally unique. But Humans still wish to have a list of things to do and not to do, as though each soul somehow came out of a spiritual machine that made them all the same. No. Instead, Spirit honors each soul with unique choice and a tremendous variety of energy selections.

The Great Artists

There are certain attributes that Humans receive on the planet, and we'll call them creative attributes. These are almost quantum attributes that may take several lifetimes to complete. What often happens to these creatives is that they go through a series of lifetimes as though it were one in order to have completion of their creative cycle. Famous artists will come back, and the first thing they want to do is pick up a brush and continue what they did before. Famous composers, famous poets and sculptors will come back and simply keep going! It's so obvious, yet you deny this in your scientific way.

So the creatives are different from the others, and their puzzle is to bring the planet the greatest treasures of art through a unified series of lives, yet personally they try to sort out the puzzle of "what they carry inside is valuable, but nobody knows it". If you've noticed, most of the great artists who have even lived and are here today carry a burden that is easily identified as "lack of self-worth". Do you see the set-up? It's ripe for personal discovery, isn't it? So can you see the Human standing in the Wind of Birth, ready to continue what they only began last time? With the "mind of God", there is a smile on their face as they hear the music that they will compose, for it's with them when they arrive.

As you stand at the Wind of Birth, you are completely and totally a unique creature with incomplete energies. It takes more than one short earthly life to create Human attributes that grow into maturity. Even non-creatives (most of you) have a lineage of starting something that never got fully completed. Sometimes it's within relationships. Sometimes it's learning or teachings. Old souls are good at this coming and going and often pick up where they leave off as they slowly change the planet by their very presence upon it. The old soul is, "Sewing the seeds of light on the carpet of linear time, not even knowing that he will also be harvesting those exact mature plants of wisdom as he returns in a subsequent life."

Therefore, dear one, you don't arrive with a blank slate, but you have to know that, don't you? The old soul feels it. The only ones who arrive with a completely blank slate are the newbies [first timers] and we'll talk about that in the next wind. But this is a room of old souls who are hearing and reading right now. Each of you is here with a spiritual jar that is filled with the experience of living on Earth, and sometimes even the attribute of "awakening to your own mastery".  ….”

Holland's Got Talent 2013 - Amira Willighagen (9)

Andre Rieu & 3 year old violinist, Akim Camara 2005 (Video)

America's Got Talent YouTube Special - Jackie Evancho (10)

Is Boy His Own Grandfather? (+Video)

10 Amazing Things Kids Have Said About Past Lives

"Common Questions from Non-Lightworkers" - Feb 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) 

"... Question Three: Is there life on other planets?

... I will tell you, as long as you stay in 3D, you'll still be getting in little metal cans and air suits and going to planets. As soon as you begin the quantum age, however, you will simply wish yourself there, because you will be entangled with everything and can go with intent. If you don't believe this now, you will later, for what I give you is true. It may be lifetimes and lifetimes from now, but the group that is before me is the group that is going to come back over and over. The difference is that you're done coming back in an old energy. This is a new energy..

When you come back, dear one, everything you know will be in your DNA and be on top [available]. You're not going to have to go through what you did before. As soon as you decide to look around and open the door [metaphor for free choice to awaken], everything you've learned this time around will be right there.

This is the attribute of what you would call "a child of new consciousness," which you have labeled with a color - indigo. The child remembers who they are. They are conceptual, and you believe they have to be taught from scratch! Hardly! They remember! Do you understand what is taking place? We told you this last time, but we want to review something with you: The animal on the prairie drops its calf and within hours, the calf is up, running with the herd. Did you know that the calf instantly knows who its enemies are, what water to drink that doesn't smell right, and what berries to eat that are not poison? Where did that come from? How did that infant animal know these things? The answer is that this information was biologically inherited. You call it instinct. But when you have a Human baby - nothing! It doesn't know anything but that it's hungry. It requires 20 years of teaching! Aren't you tired of that? Did you ever think about why the animals have so much knowledge to begin with and you have so little? Does that seem correct for the top of the evolutionary ladder? It's time for that to change.

You're starting to see it, even with the indigos. They come in knowing. That's why they're so impatient. You're trying to teach them things they already know instinctively. Just like the calf on the prairie, they come in knowing. Some of them try to teach you. That doesn't always go well. That was question three...."

"The Quantum Factor" – Apr 10, 2011 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Galaxies, Universe, Intelligent design, Benevolent design, Aliens, Nikola Tesla (Quantum energy), Inter-Planetary Travel, DNA, Genes, Stem Cells, Cells, Rejuvenation, Shift of Human Consciousness, Spontaneous Remission, Religion, Dictators, Africa, China, Nuclear Power, Sustainable Development, Animals, Global Unity.. etc.) - (Text Version)

"..... DNA - A Quantum Force 

Now we get to the core truth, don't we? So I will tell you. The ninety percent of DNA which is quantum, is filled with information, both esoteric and timeless. It is a quantum blueprint for everything you are and have been since you arrived on the planet the first time. DNA contains instruction sets for your life; everything from your full Akashic Record - every single lifetime you have had - to the benevolent creator's fingerprint within the seeds of creation itself. Every single talent you ever had is there, even if you don't have any of those today... the record is there. Every predisposition of weakness and strength are there. Biologically, every single instruction to every single stem cell is there. . ..."

"..... DNA is a Dynamic Molecule, not a static one.

Humanity is stuck in the 3D portion of their biological thinking. In your 3-D life, you simply accept the chemistry you're given. You act as though the three percent gene producing part is all there is. You believe it is a chemical protocol that is unchangeable and simply "you." You don't see it for the way it's designed. It's dynamic and always has been. It's not set, but will continue to simply repeat what it does unless there is another quantum influence on it.

Therefore you live with the 3 percent as though it were all there is, and since it just "came with your body" and seems to control everything, you never talk to it. Many of you come in with pre-dispositions based upon the karma which is put upon you from your past lives. You don't come in clean [without karmic energy]. Instead, you arrive with pre-dispositions, fears and phobias. Some are positive. Perhaps you come in as a prodigy continuing your last life... the 8-year-old who can paint like a master and do brushstrokes that take 30 years to develop. What does that tell you about what must be in the DNA?

Perhaps you come in as the composer, the pianist, the prodigy, the violinist, just waiting until your hands can go on the fingerboard or can reach up and fret the notes. Perhaps you come in knowing how to play the piano, just waiting for your hands to get big enough to do what you used to do... without any lessons. How do you explain that, dear ones? The answer is that all this is contained in the dynamic quantum instruction sets of your DNA... the part you never talk to it. .."

Obama hails Nobel winner Dylan as one of 'favorite poets'

Yahoo – AFP, October 13, 2016

US President Barack Obama (R) presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to
US musician Bob Dylan in 2012 (AFP Photo/Mandel Ngan)

Washington (AFP) - US President Barack Obama on Thursday congratulated Bob Dylan on what he called his "well-deserved" Nobel literature prize, calling the music legend "one of my favorite poets."

Obama's message on Twitter contained a link to a Spotify playlist of Dylan's greatest hits including "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and "Like A Rolling Stone."

"Congratulations to one of my favorite poets, Bob Dylan, on a well-deserved Nobel," Obama tweeted -- a message retweeted nearly 3,000 times in 30 minutes.

The shock Nobel victory for the 75-year-old Dylan -- the first songwriter to take the prize -- stunned prize watchers.

He was honored "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition," the Swedish Academy said.

The 2016 #NobelPrize laureates pic.twitter.com/1eInQFVdy7

— AFP news agency (@AFP) October 13, 2016

Kate Bush fans re-enact Wuthering Heights in Australia

Yahoo – AFP, July 16, 2016

Kate Bush fans gather to rehearse a dance before performing during a
celebration to mark 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever', in Melbourne, on
July 16, 2016 (AFP Photo/Paul Crock)

Melbourne (AFP) - Thousands of Kate Bush fans put on their best billowy red dresses and danced en masse in Melbourne Saturday to one of the singer's most iconic songs Wuthering Heights.

They donned matching red stockings and black wigs to mark The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever -- a re-enactment of the British star's classic 1978 debut music video in which she pirouettes and cartwheels in a misty field.

Bush's distinctive voice and performance-art–style videos gained a global cult following and in 2013 theatre group Shambush gathered nearly 300 Kate Bushes to recreate her iconic frolic in the English city of Brighton.

This inspired the Melbourne event, which has taken on a life of its own with similar dances also planned Saturday in 21 cities around the world, coordinator Douglas Leitch said, including Berlin, Oslo, Montreal, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

"The whole idea really is just to get toregether and have fun and do our unique interpretation of the dance," the 44-year-old, who had an overwhelming response after advertising the day on Facebook, told AFP.

Kate Bush fans rehearse a dance before performing during a celebration to 

mark 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever', in Melbourne, on July 16, 2016

(AFP Photo/Paul Crock)

He said at least 800 dresses had been bought for the occasion, with dance classes booked out across Melbourne as people prepared. Organisers on Saturday estimated around 2,000 people, young and old, took part.

"It is such a unique song from a unique artist. It resonates with people and that's why it's lasted," added Leitch.

"I don't know if Kate knows it's happening, because she's a bit of a recluse, but I'm sure she might."

Thousands of Kate Bush fans re-enact 'Wuthering Heights' in Melbourne, Australia https://t.co/nYgSVPNt5h pic.twitter.com/yy88BfuS0g

— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 16, 2016

Related Article:

Springsteen cancels N. Carolina show over anti-trans law

Yahoo – AFP, Shaun Tandon, April 9, 2016

Bruce Springsteen said he canceled a concert in North Carolina to protest a law
 that targets transgender people, as "some things are more important than a rock
show" (AFP Photo/Jamie McCarthy)

New York (AFP) - Bruce Springsteen canceled a concert in North Carolina to protest a law that targets transgender people, vowing to fight against "those who continue to push us backwards."

Springsteen's move marks one of the highest-profile actions yet against the law, which prohibits local governments within the southern state from acting to stop discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people in public facilities and restrooms.

"To my mind, it's an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress," the rock legend said in a statement.

North Carolina's Republican governor, 

Pat McCrory (C), signed the law that 

targets transgender people last month 

after its passage by the state legislature

(AFP Photo/Davis Turner)

"Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry -- which is happening as I write -- is one of them.

"It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards."

Springsteen had been due to perform Sunday in Greensboro, North Carolina as part of a sold-out arena tour revisiting his classic 1980 album "The River."

Springsteen, 66, rose to fame with his tales of the struggles of working-class America and his intense marathon concerts.

He has become increasingly open about his political beliefs in the past decade, campaigning for President Barack Obama and other Democrats.

In his statement, "The Boss" saluted activists and business leaders who have spoken out against North Carolina's law.

Notably, online payment giant PayPal scrapped a $3.6 million investment in North Carolina and the National Basketball Association has warned that it may pull next year's All-Star Game from the state.

The governors of New York and Washington and a number of other local leaders have banned non-essential travel by officials to North Carolina.

North Carolina's Republican governor, Pat McCrory, signed the law last month after its passage by the state legislature in response to a non-discrimination ordinance approved by Charlotte, the largest city in the state.

Spreading of laws in South

A Republican congressman from North Carolina, Mark Walker, told The Hollywood Reporter that other artists were coming to the state including Justin Bieber and Def Leppard.

Saying he might go to the Bieber concert in solidarity, Walker accused Springsteen of a "bully tactic."

"It's like when a kid gets upset and says he's going to take his ball and go home," he said.

The law, known as HB2, requires that transgender people use the restroom corresponding to the sex on their birth certificate.

Another southern state, Mississippi, has followed suit with a measure that allows officials and businesses to deny services to gay people or refuse to employ them if they feel it would violate their religious beliefs.

Steven Van Zandt, a member of Springsteen's E Street Band, said the artists wanted to prevent such laws from spreading, even though it was a "tough decision" to disappoint fans.

"This really vile and evil discrimination is starting to spread state to state and we thought we better take a stand right now and catch it early and maybe try to stop it or at least set some kind of example for others," Van Zandt told reporters at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York.

"It's unfortunately the only way people understand -- you have to hurt them economically in order to have them do the right thing morally," said Van Zandt, who led an artist campaign against apartheid in South Africa.

Van Zandt was taking part in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony to present a lifetime achievement award to late producer and songwriter Bert Berns.

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"The Akashic Circle" – Jul 17, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Religion, The Humanization of God, Benevolent Design, DNA, Akashic Circle, (Old) Souls, Gaia, Indigenous People, Talents, Reincarnation, Genders, Gender Switches, In “between” Gender Change, Gender Confusion, Shift of Human Consciousness, Global Unity,..... etc.)  - (Text version)

“… Gender Switching

Old souls, let me tell you something. If you are old enough, and many of you are, you have been everything. Do you hear me? All of you. You have been both genders. All of you have been what I will call between genders, and that means that all of you have had gender switches. Do you know what happens when it's time for you to switch a gender? We have discussed it before. You'll have dozens of lifetimes as the same gender. You're used to it. It's comfortable. You cannot conceive of being anything else, yet now it's time to change. It takes approximately three lifetimes for you to get used to it, and in those three lifetimes, you will have what I call "gender confusion."

It isn't confusion at all. It's absolutely normal, yet society often will see it as abnormal. I'm sitting here telling you you've all been through it. All of you. That's what old souls do. It's part of the system. …”