-Singer, Maire Brennan brought 190 North her vibrant voice singing a new song off her CD album Whisper to the Wild Water.

-Janet Davies meets the James Bond's of Chicago.  With one on one interviews, Janet speaks with 007 author Raymond Benson, Ian Fleming Foundation, Vice President Douglas Redenius and the newest Bond girl, Denise Richards.
 

 -190 North host Janet Davies takes us behind the scenes' as young hopefuls audition for what may be the next Back Street Boys.  Promoting and managing bands such as the Back Street Boys, Trans Continental Media, Inc. held auditions for their newest boy band endeavor.

-190 North feature contributor Liza Cruzat goes behind the scenes' at the John G. Shedd Aquarium.  Saying hello to a few Beluga whales and Pacific White-sided Dolphins Liza speaks with the mammals best friends; the people who care for them.

Hers is the voice of an angel and her passion to let it fly is as fiery as anything Irish you'll ever encounter.  Maire (Gaelic spelling, pronounced Moya) Brennan, front woman for the prolific, Grammy-winning Brennan family group, Clannad, has release her fourth solo project, Whisper To the Wild Water.  From the land of saints and scholars comes the follow-up to her 1998 Word Records debut, Perfect Time, and this vibrant, new offering is rich in Celtic tradition while at the same time flowing with a contemporary sensibility and the depth of world music rhythms.  

And as the element of water - and the album title - suggest, Brennan's voice flows naturally from chorus to verse, as rivers merge to oceans.  An amazing instrument that gracefully cascades over songs in her first language, Gaelic, and in English, as well, and is banked (but not contained) by a convergence of well-tended electric guitars and Uileann pipes, drum loops and fiddles, and Brennan's own harp and keyboards.  With minor adjustments to the same lively band, which accompanied her on Perfect Time, now together forming a tribute of valor and hope to the history from which this music springs.

Whether it's "To The Water," "Peacemaker," with its Gaelic spoken word opening performed by her five-year-old son, Paul, "I lathair De (In God's Presence)," a duet with her mother, Baba or the title track, Whisper To The Wild Water is a visual soundscape.

The album evokes Brennan's hometown of Dore, County Conegal, where she, as the eldest of nine children, formed Clannad with two brothers and twin uncles.  Imagine visiting her father Leo's pub in this northwestern region, bordered by ocean and mountains.  Walk through the hills with a crisp wind in your face and Brennan's quiet, potent songs, which she sings from her heart to yours.

"The sound and melodies on this album relate to images.  Images that are inspired by my surroundings and that I've jotted down throughout the years.  On this album, I wasn't afraid to explore deeper territories.  I just said, 'I'm known for putting a hum to anything and I'm going to do 
it, '" she explains in a delightful lilt.

For more information about Maire Brennan click on: www.luckmedia.com or www.worldrecords.com.
 
 

Trans Continental Records held screenings in key cities in order to form a band specifically for a television show in association with MTV Productions and ABC.  This program will document an abbreviated version of the process that has brought the world the Backstreet Boys, 'NSYNC, LFO, C Note, Take 5 and Innocence, among others.

"Much has been made of the process we have created here to discover and nurture talent," commented Louis Pearlman.  "Though the term factory is very often used, nothing could be further from the truth.  We give aspiring artists the tools, the support and the love to accomplish their goals.  It is our belief that this project will accurately portray that process."

This real-life drama will go behind-the-scenes with pop impresario Pearlman, who discovered and played an integral part in the monumental success of such artists as the Backstreet Boys, 'NSYNC and LFO.  Cameras will catch all aspects of the scene at O-Town including a cross-country talent search, which will lead to the selection of five band members, to the songwriting process, recording and public appearances.

MTV Productions will produce the show in association with Bunim/Murray Productions.  To capture this realistic setting accurately, the show will be produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jon Murray of Bunim/Murray Productions, creators of MTV's "The Real World" and "Road Rules"

"While this band is being specifically formed for this program," continued Pearlman, "we feel strongly that the seasoned production staff will adequately capture the essence of the physical and emotional commitment necessary to succeed in the competitive world of pop music."

The drama of what goes on in front of the cameras will be intercut with the personal moments of what happens in private as the new artists move into a home in Orlando.  There, viewers will get an up-close and personal account of their lives and their emotional journeys as they discover what it takes to make it in the competitive world of pop music.  During the process, the band will record two singles and perform live.

Trans Continental Records, founded in 1991 in Orlando, FL by Pearlman in order to promote and manage the Backstreet Boys, has developed a reputation unique since the days of Motown for discovering, developing and nurturing musical talent.  With sales in excess of 65 million units in over 25 countries, TCR boasts several of the world's hottest and most influential pop acts.

For more information about Trans Continental Records, Inc. or any information concerning the new boy band click on www.mtv.com or www.cybervenue.com.

They're the star attractions at the John G. Shedd Aquarium...I'm talking about the dolphins and the beluga whales.  Our own Liza Cruzat got a chance to go behind the scenes' and -mingle- with the mammals...and the very special -people- who care for them.

The three-million gallon saltwater Oceanarium at John G. Shedd Aquarium is the largest indoor marine mammal pavilion in the world.  Beluga whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Alaskan sea otters and harbor seals thrive in a dramatic re-creation of a Pacific Northwest coastal environment.  Nature trails wind through a stretch of rugged rain forest sensitizing visitors to the concept of a natural ecosystem: the fragile relationship that exists between animals, plants, land and water. 

The Pacific Northwest coast was selected as the Oceanaruim setting for several reasons.  First, Shedd Aquarium hopes to sensitize visitors to the plight of our vanishing temperate rain forests and encourage them to support protection and conservation of these fragile environments.  Second, marine mammals found in the Pacific Northwest include species such as beluga whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins and Alaskan sea otters, animals that people will not see in other aquariums and/or zoos in the Midwest region. 

At the edge of the Oceanarium's Sitka spruce forest, visitors will find beluga whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins.  Three connecting pools are visible, and a fourth, the veterinary pool, is located off public view.  Whale Harbor alone, the largest of the ocean habitats, contains two million gallons of water.  Misty Passage holds another 200,000 gallons, Secluded Bay 400,000, and the adjoining veterinary pool contains 35,000 gallons of water.

The massive pools are irregularly shaped, offering the animals varied and interesting swimming routes.  The size of these habitats far exceeds all government regulations concerning the housing of marine mammals.  Underwater channels and alcoves provide the animals room to explore and enjoy privacy.  Moveable underwater gates allow the animals access to the adjoining pools.

Behavioral presentations with the dolphins and/or whales are scheduled every day.  The educational presentations highlight many of the behaviors these animals do naturally.  Guests might see dolphins doing natural behaviors such as dives, breaches, porpoising and spy-hopping, breaching and tail-walking.

The animals are trained to demonstrate natural and husbandry behaviors on cue, a continuing process that provides mental and physical stimulation for them.  While presentation content changes regularly, a strong conservation message concerning habitat and animal preservation remains constant.  Presentations take place in the 1,000-seat terrazzo amphitheater that overlooks Whale Harbor.  From their seats, visitors are treated to a spectacular view of Lake Michigan, which seems to blend right into the water line of the Oceanarium habitat.

For further insight on what the John G. Shedd Aquarium has to offer either call 312/939-2438 or click on www.shedd.org at the top of the page.