ROBIN E RJ FALAM SOBRE O CD E A DOENÇA

Algumas curiosidades sobre o novo álbum do Robin. E algumas curiosidades sobre como conviveu com a doença nesse período. A matéria diz que não há mais traços de câncer no fígado de Robin. Tomara que as boas notícias que têm sido divulgadas correspondam à realidade.

WHEN ROBIN GIBB decided to embark on his most ambitious musical project to date, there were only two things he could be sure of.
The requiem would commemorate the sinking of the Titanic 100 years ago and, as the first joint venture between the former Bee Gee and his son RJ, it would bring the two kindred spirits closer together.
However, as father and son discussed their plan over lunch at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, London, on a sunny day in May 2009, the project was about to take on an entirely different dimension. Just a few weeks later Robin would be diagnosed with colon cancer that had spread to his liver.
From marking a tragedy that killed 1,517 people, the musical odyssey would become shrouded by a much more personal tragedy; one that threatened the life of one of the world’s most gifted musicians and risked tearing the heart and soul out of a family.
While his chemotherapy helped Robin, 62, fight the physical battle, his music gave him the mental strength to overcome his biggest challenge. “There is no doubt that Titanic kept me going. I’m not sure I’d be here without it,” said Robin from his mansion in Thame, Oxfordshire.
The Titanic Requiem, the songwriter’s first classical composition, is a magnum opus of unparalleled beauty.
Divided into 15 sections, it takes the listener on a musical journey from the building of the world’s first “unsinkable” ship in Harland and Wolff’s Belfast shipyards and its maiden voyage which was to end so abruptly on the night of April 14, 1912, when it struck an iceberg, to the scramble for survival by some and the valiant sacrifice of so many others.
“The Titanic disaster was a seminal moment in history. I can imagine people in 100 years time thinking of the Lockerbie disaster in the same sort of way.
“I have always been very interested in history. It was my favourite subject at school and I know RJ shares the same passion.”
Softly spoken and measured, RJ (or Robin- John, to give the 29-year-old quantum physics prodigy his full name) recalled how his father took every opportunity to satisfy his thirst for history while touring with the Bee Gees.
“One of my first memories was when I was six and we went to East Germany where the Bee Gees were touring.
“It was before the Wall came down and it was like moving from colour to a land of black and white. I remember Dad being absolutely fascinated. He took us around Berlin pointing out the bullet holes on the Reichstag from the Second World War.”
With such a love for history, it is little wonder that the star lives in a 13thcentury manor house which, among its many historical claims, is the site of the signing of Joan of Arc’s death warrant. It is not the first time the Bee Gee has tackled a sombre historical calamity.
The hit New York Mining Disaster 1941, written by Robin and Barry Gibb in 1966, was inspired by the Aberfan disaster in October of that year when a massive landslide of loose rock and mining debris tumbled from Merthyr Vale colliery on to the South Wales village, killing 116 children and 28 adults.
“Everything I have ever done musically, from the Bee Gee days to now, has been about painting images with music,” says Robin.
“The Titanic requiem is exactly the same.”
RJ described the composition as “organic”. “At the beginning it was based on the Latin Requiem Mass. Then each section evolved, layer by layer. Sometime we would start with a cello or violin or even timpani and eventually you would get images and it would fall into place. I discovered that we think in the same way musically and we rarely disagreed.
“We were inspired by the story. We know that Pitman, who rowed boat Number 5, was told by his passengers not to row back because they feared they would be swamped by the multitude of passengers crying and moaning. Later, he said that the groans and cries went on for more than an hour, before slowly dying out.”
Robin and RJ were aided by arranger and co-producer Savvas Iosifidis, while the Requiem is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Apart from Robin, it also boasts the vocal talents of tenor Mario Frangoulis and chorister Isabel Suckling. Aled Jones will perform Frangoulis’s role in concerts to the backdrop of Giuseppe Raffa’s Operama holograms.
Every sound effect is recreated by the orchestra, from the Morse code that punctuates the section called SOS to the scraped gong that evokes the scraping of the hull against the iceberg. “We thought it would take us only three months, which turned out to be an overambitious hope,” said Robin. “The project ended up taking us two years.”
As the family, including Robin’s wife Dwina, sit around a roaring fi re in the ancient hall, the feeling is of warmth and relief. According to Robin’s oncologist, his victory over the illness has been nothing short of “spectacular”. There are no longer any traces of cancer in his liver, and his prognosis is good. “I’m over the worst,” added Robin.
However, his journey has been long, perilous and, in parts, dark. RJ recalled how, in 2009, those around him began to suspect something was wrong.
“We started noticing that he was feeling more and more tired and getting a bit skinnier,” RJ said. “Then he was diagnosed. At first my father wouldn’t talk about it but as he went through chemotherapy and realised it wasn’t as bad as he feared he opened up to us.
“You don’t want to think about it but I knew that Titanic could end up being our final project together. We have always been close but this has brought us really close together.
“I savoured every moment but there was never a sense of urgency or fear because of the disease, to get it done quick; we just threw ourselves into the work. We had fun. It was a labour of love.”
HE ADDED: “The project helped me deal with his disease too. Now that the truth is out people congratulate him for overcoming it. They are not looking at him like a sick man.”
Robin’s twin brother Maurice, who suffered a fatal heart attack in 2003 after an operation to remove an intestinal blockage, is never far from anyone’s thoughts at the house.
“My father had the same kind of twist of the bowel that Maurice had but when he was able to come through the surgery, he was all the more triumphant,” said RJ.
“You can imagine the relief that he was able to beat something that took away his dearest friend. He and Barry still find solace in remembering and talking about Maurice together.”
Robin added: “What I do and what I have done all these years, it’s not a job, it’s a love. I can’t read or write music but the songs and the music come to me. Don’t ask me where they come from because I don’t know.
“I do know that it hasn’t been about the glamour, or the money, or the one-night stands, or any of that. It’s about the composition. It has always been about that, from when I started writing songs at the age of eight. That is what gets me through and that, along with the love of my family, is what got me through these past two years.”
The Titanic Requiem is released on March 26 and will be performed in full as a concert at Central Hall, Westminster, London, on April 10. Tickets available from robingibb.com

74 ENCONTRO BR GIBB DIA 31 DE MARÇO EM CAMPINAS

Vem aí o primeiro encontro do BR GIBB BEE GEES CLUBE de 2012, o de número 74 em São Paulo. Acontece dia 31 de março, em Campinas. E com todas as novidades trazidas de Miami pela Sylvia e a Andréia, que acompanharam os shows do Barry no Love & Hope e no Hard Rock Cafe - vídeos e áudios exclusivos. Música ao vivo, confraternização e a oportunidade de rever os amigos e conhecer pessoas que também curtem Bee Gees. Informe-se pelo e-mail brgibb@yahoo.com.br

No youtube você encontra algumas fotos do encontro de Campinas em 2011:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLKsUt1KEmo

GLEE TERÁ BEE GEES EM ABRIL

Muitas e muitas novidades nos últimos dias e nenhum tempo para autalizar o blog. Creio que todos já tenham se descabelado com todos os vídeos e as informações sobre o Barry no Love & Hope e no Hard Rock, durante o Carnaval, em Miami. Nosso encontro de março terá um video exclusivo feito nestas apresentações, gravado lá pela Sylvia e a Andreia. Então, não há mais o que dizer aqui,
Outra notícia que já repercutiu foi a nova internação do Robin, que ainda não sabemos se é para tratamento previso ou consequência de recaída. Por mais que Robin tenha parecido bem em sua performance no último dia 13 e no dia 19 tenha visitado as obras do memorial em que está envolvido, pessoalmente ainda me preocupo muito com suas condições reais. Até onde sei, não é fácil curar um câncer em estágio desenevolvio e que já resultou em metástase. Talvez Barry seja da mesma opinião, pois mostrou muita preocupação no Love & Hope e, pelo twiter, pediu que rezássemos por seu irmão. Vamos torcer e aguardar. Vejo com certa desconfiança essas declarações de que Robin é de outro planeta o câncer foi vencido em dois meses (e a evolução negativa nos sete meses anteriores, desde o diagnóstico, por que aconteceu então já que era tão simples superar a doença em tão pouco tempo?).

Mas vamos então colocar ao menos alguma informação nova, que é essa já anunciada e esperada participação dos Bee Gees (tá certo que pela metade) no seriado Glee, de grande sucesso no mundo todo, inclusive no Brasil.

The rumored title for episode 3×16 is “Saturday Night Glee-ver” so it looks like a Bee Gees kind of episode is coming in April. Check out these pics we found on FYeahGleeClub. If the source is correct, this is the same light-up dance floor used from the famous Saturday Night Fever movie:The same source is saying that the song “You Should Be Dancing” is performed by Santana, Brittany and Blaine. A BEE GEE's classic. “If I Can’t Have You” (Yvonne Elliman); “More Than a Woman” (Bee Gees); “Night Fever” (Bee Gees)

ROBIN DE VOLTA AO PALCO

Muito pouco tempo para postar, mas não podemos deixar de eternizar neste blog a grande reaparição do Robin ontem, 13 de fevereiro, em evento beneficente já previsto. Enquanto o video não aparece, vai o texto e a foto. Continuo torcendo para que ele surpreenda e dê um jeito de se juntar ao Barry no próximo final de semana. No mais, que essa recuperação seja efetiva e que ele vença a guerra pessoal que enfrenta.

Standing ovation for Bee Gee Robin on miraculous return to stage

The 62-year-old legend joined serving military trio The Soldiers for the Coming Home charity concert in support of injured servicemen
 Feeling "fantastic": Robin Gibb on stage Tim Anderson
Brave Bee Gees Robin Gibb star last night received a standing ovation at the London Palladium, on his incredible return to the stage after an intense cancer battle.
The 62-year-old legend joined serving military trio The Soldiers for the Coming Home charity concert in support of injured servicemen, at what was his first public appearance for almost five months.
After an incredible fight against colon and liver cancer which doctors have branded miraculous, the singer appeared to close the event with Bee Gees classic How Deep Is Your Love and I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You - which he recorded with The Soldiers last year in support of the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.
Speaking before taking to the stage, a grinning Robin said he felt “fantastic” and thanked Mirror readers for their support, then happily posed for photos before walking out to rapturous applause from fans at the iconic London venue.
 Support: Robin was determined to help out the Coming Home charity Tim Anderson  
One audience member said: “Robin looks wonderful, as well as he has done for ages, and his voice was sounding great.
“He’s still got such a unique sound, it was a real honour to watch him as I know he has been very ill. Everyone was thrilled to see him looking so well.”
The singer, who had been forced to pull out of a string of performances and public events in recent months due to his ill health including a visit to Downing Street, wore a brown jacket and trademark blue glasses as he stood arm-in-arm with co-stars for the show’s finale.
And he showed flashes of his good humour on stage as he joked with the show’s organiser to hurry up with his closing speech, before waving to fans and thanking them for the rousing reception.
Robin has also pledged to appear with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in April, for the premiere of his first classical composition The Titanic Requiem, after revealing his doctors had been stunned by his recovery.
 Finale: Arm in arm with co-stars after stunning return to stage Tim Anderson  
In a recorded interview for BBC Radio he said this month: “I’ve been treated by a brilliant doctor, and in their own words, the results have been spectacular.
“And they said, ‘What are you doing that we don’t know about?’”
The singer also joked that medics had said he must be from “another planet”, before adding: “The prognosis is that it’s almost gone and I feel fantastic.
“Really from now on it’s just what they could describe as a “mopping-up” operation.”
Details of Robin’s serious condition first emerged in October last year when the star was forced to cancel several concerts and charity appearances, and he sparked alarm when he joined chat host Alan Titchmarsh the same month appearing gaunt and unwell.
He later revealed he had been diagnosed with colon cancer which spread to the liver, but has always vowed to beat the disease and continued to write music throughout his illness.

ROBIN DIZ QUE CÂNCER ESTÁ QUASE VENCIDO

Como sabemos, Robin deu entrevista à rádio BBC 2 na semana passada. O objetivo era divulgar seu novo CD, mas obviamente o assunto mais importante foi sua saúde. Deu notícias muito boas, que seguem nas matérias abaixo. Vamos aguardar agora dia 13 quando Robin deve se apresentar com seus amigos soldados.
Continuo com um sentimento muito pessoal e meramente especulativo de que não é totalmente impossível que ele faça uma loucura e vá cantar em Miami junto com o Barry. Mas isso é apenas chute, o bom senso manda o contrário.
Tomara que tudo o que Robin diz seja correto e que em breve ele possa voltar pleanamente ao trabalho. E aí, quem sabe, cobrar o Barry sobre os planos de trabalho juntos, o que seria muito bom.
A entrevista ficará disponível na internet por mais alguns dias, mas o programa é longo, tem 3 horas, e o Robin fala lá pelo final.
http://www.robingibb.com/news/2012/02/03/uk-radio-premiere-for-dont-cry-alone/2050

Robin Gibb diz que está se recuperando bem de câncer no fígado
"Ele já está quase extinto e estou muito ativo", afirmou o vocalista do Bee Gees na última sexta, 3
por Rolling Stone EUA
6 de Fev. de 2012 às 12:24
Robin Gibb, um dos dois integrantes remanescentes do Bee Gees, contou à Radio 2, da rede britânica BBC, que está tendo uma recuperação "espetacular" durante o tratamento de quimioterapia para curar um câncer no fígado. "O prognóstico é de que [o câncer] já está quase extinto. Eu me sinto fantástico e, de agora em diante, ocorrerá o que eles só puderam me descrever como uma operação de 'limpeza da área'", disse o músico, em entrevista na última sexta, 3. "Estou muito ativo e minha sensação de bem-estar é boa."
O cantor, que emagreceu muito nos últimos anos, comentou sobre como se abriu mais sobre sua doença, após muitos rumores a respeito de sua saúde. "O fato é: eu nunca falei para ninguém sobre minha condição ou a condição em que estava, e um monte deles [jornalistas] passam dos limites, até um ponto em que estão me dizendo coisas que nem eu mesmo sabia sobre mim", disse ele.
Gibb revelou que estava tratando o câncer no fígado em novembro. O irmão gêmeo de Robin e companheiro de banda, Maurice, morreu em 2003, aos 53 anos, devido a problemas em seu intestino delgado, relatados em sua autópsia como uma condição congênita. Robin fez uma cirurgia para um problema similar em 2011. Ele cancelou uma série de shows no Brasil no ano passado, após ser hospitalizado novamente por conta de dores abdominais.

Robin Gibb, do Bee Gees, está em "ótima recuperação" após tratamento de câncer
Katy Freitas
Redação TDMtamanho
Robin Gibb, vocalista do Bee Gees, afirmou que se “sente ótimo” com sua recuperação do câncer de cólon. O músico de 62 anos revelou o diagnóstico do câncer em novembro de 2011 e passou por tratamento de quimioterapia após a remoção do vírus no cólon.
Gibb revelou estar se sentindo melhor que nunca, em entrevista à rádio BBC. “O prognóstico é de que está quase acabando e eu me sinto realmente fantástico e de agora em diante é só o que poderia descrever como uma operação de limpeza", disse ele.
O cantor, que foi hospitalizado no ano passado com problemas intestinais, a mesma doença que causou a morte de seu irmão gêmeo, Maurice, em 2003, ainda acrescentou:
“Estou sendo tratado por um médico brilhante que afima termos resultados espetaculares. Me sinto melhor que há 10 anos. Estou ativo, meu apetite está fantástico e tudo está em ordem”, esclareceu.

Robin Gibb's cancer is "almost gone", he said on Friday. Despite reports that he was close to death, the 62-year-old Bee Gee said he is "feeling fantastic" after undergoing treatment at The London Clinic. "I feel better than I did 10 years ago," he said.
Gibb's comments follow reports that he had been diagnosed with cancer. "The fact is, I've never spoken to anybody about my condition," he told BBC Radio 2. "A lot of [claims] go over the top to the point where they're telling me things I didn't even know about myself … It's all simple. I was diagnosed with a growth in my colon. It was removed. And I've been treated for that by a brilliant doctor, and in their own words 'the results have been spectacular.'"
The singer has suffered from poor health in recent years. In 2010, he cancelled a series of public appearances owing to severe stomach pains. He eventually received emergency surgery for a blocked intestine. Gibb's condition was similar to that of his twin brother Maurice, who died in 2003.
"I don't know how I could feel any better," Gibb said. "I'm active, my appetite's fantastic, the plumbing is all in perfect working order. If I had a choice about how I'd like to feel for the rest of my life, this would be it … Really from now on it's just what they could describe as a mopping-up operation."
Gibb is almost ready to debut The Titanic Requiem, a classical album he composed and recorded with his son, RJ. It will have its live debut on 10 April, exactly 100 years after the Titanic set sail from Southampton. Gibb will help lead the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and RSVP Voices Choir, featuring tenor Mario Frangoulis and 13-year-old choirgirl Isabel Suckling.

ROBIN EM FOTO RECENTE

Robin colocou a foto acima em seu blog, que seria de uma visita feita há cerca de dois dias pelos soldados que gravaram recentemente um single com ele. Pela foto, Robin mostra aparência muito boa. Tudo indica que terá condições de cantar com os soldados no próximo dia 13. No post, que segue abaixo, Robin diz que se sente melhor do que esteve nos últimos tempos. Depois de admitir finalmente que tem câncer em artigo publicado na semana passada, Robin tem dito que sua recuperação vai muito bem. Continuamos torcendo para que encontre o melhor caminho possível nesse momento muito complicado.
Então teremos Robin ao vivo dia 13 e Barry nos dias 19 e 21, separados por um oceando. Mas será que não vai dar pro Robin dar uma escapadinha e fazer uma surpresa ao pessoal em Miami? Dependendo de como for dia 13, quem sabe?

Gary, Richie and Ryan of The Soldiers came to see me a couple of days ago and they presented me with a gold disc. They asked me if I'd wanted to do them the favour of joining them on stage for "Message" on the last show of their tour and I said yes. So I'll join them at The Palladium February 13th. Of course I also plan performing at The Titanic Requiem's world premiere on April 10th in Westminster. And, I want to take the opportunity to say I feel better than I've done in a long time, and that I'm not on my last legs as some newspapers make it appear!

ROBIN ANUNCIA DATA DO NOVO ÁLBUM, MAS ESTADO DE SAÚDE PREOCUPA

Acho que todo mundo já olhou o hot site do novo álbum do Robin e já ouviu as 4 músicas disponibilizadas, que se juntam àquela com temática de Natal, que ele havia apresentado em dezembro. Já dá para ter uma boa ideia do que virá em março, um mês antes do centenário do naufrágio do Titanic, inspiração para o trabalho. Não é novidade nenhuma que Robin vinha trabalhando num álbum conceitual, autoral e de inspiração clássica. Assim será. Como entusiasta da legítima música dos Bee Gees e genericamente da música dos anos 60, não é o tipo de trabalho que agrada meus ouvidos. Mas isso não importa neste momento. Esse é um trabalho ideológico do Robin (sabe-se que ele é apaixonado pela história do Titanic) e um presente que ele dá a nós e a si próprio. Também é um álbum de altíssimo nível, muito bom gosto e que talvez venha a se transformar na obra mais consistente da carreira solo do Robin. Quem sabe não era mais ou menos isso que ele e os irmãos tinham em mente quando idealizaram o inicialmente também conceitual Odessa, que acabou se tornando no final um excelente trabalho pop.

Enfim, fico feliz pela realização desse projeto, que não será um sucesso comercial, com certeza, mas, quem sabe, será motivo de revisão do posicionamento do Robin no contexto musical.

Lembremos que Robin tem um, ao que tudo indica, excelente álbum pop guardado na gaveta desde 2008. Já ouvimos alguma coisa desse trabalho e realmente é tudo muito bom – ajuda a esquecer o (eca!) Magnet. Aliás, uma das canções gravadas em 2008 durante as sessões foi exatamente Don’t Cry Alone, que Robin apresentou como o primeiro single do CD para o Titanic. Foi produzida por Peter John Vetesse, que já havia produzido os solos do Robin no álbum This Is Where I Came In. Não vejo futuro imediato para esse belo CD arquivado, creio que se for lançado será pela família do Robin, infelizmente.

Só uma observação: não entendo essa mania de dizer que vamos “comemorar” os 100 anos do naufrágio do Titanic. E tragédia deve ser comemorada? Esse é um detalhe que deveria ser revisto no site do Robin e nas eventuais peças de divulgação.

No mais, temos aí algumas notícias sobre a saúde do Robin, que continua em sua batalha quixotesca contra um mal que, no estágio em que parece estar, infelizmente não tem cura.

Um dos argumentos daqueles que não confiam muito nas informações publicadas pela imprensa sobre o Robin é o fato de que elas vêm de "um amigo da família", sem nunca identificar a pessoa. Aqui, desta vez, a fonte está identificada, como Mick Garbutt, um amigo de muito tempo, segundo o jornal. De acordo com ele, o tratamento do Robin envolve oito semanas de quimioterapia. O amigo diz ainda que Robin não está bem: "but the reality is that he is very unwell". A gente torce pelo contrário, mas por mais triste que seja, o problema do Robin deve ser gravíssimo.

Seguem os textos que separei para este final de semana.

Robin Gibb has vowed to continue his charity work, despite undergoing an intensive eight-week course of chemotherapy in his battle against liver cancer.

Robin Gibb has vowed to continue his charity work, despite battling liver cancer.

The 62-year-old music legend has undergone an intensive eight-week course of chemotherapy in his fight against the disease, which has left him feeling frail and drained, but earlier this week he signed up to be a patron of music project Rock The House.

A friend of the Bee Gees singer told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "He's very strong willed - if anyone can beat this it's Robin."

Despite feeling "very unwell", Robin was upset at missing out on a charity event for Rock The House - which was started by Conservative MP Mike Weatherley to support musicians from across the UK - on Wednesday (18.01.12).

Speaking at the event, his spokesman and long-standing friend Mick Garbutt explained: "He would have absolutely loved to be here in person, but unfortunately that simply hasn't been possible with his health.

"It is true to say he is very unwell, but he's an incredible man and enjoys lots of support from his close circle of friends and family, and particularly from his wife Dwina.

"He's determined to keep supporting good causes which he believes in strongly even as he fights this terrible illness. The support he has been receiving from fans has been fantastic - he's a national treasure really. While he can still use his profile to raise awareness for issues close to his heart he will always do so."

Despite his commitment to the charity, Mick admitted Robin is "very unwell".

He added: "He is receiving regular chemotherapy and fighting hard. He is also heading home to be with his family at every possible opportunity as that's where he feels comfortable, but the reality is that he is very unwell."

Robin - who lives in Thame, Oxfordshire, South East England with Dwina - is determined to beat the disease and plans to attend the launch of his new classical composition in early April.

Mick said: "He has set himself a goal to be at the gala performance of his first classical composition in April and everybody around him hopes that he will be there."

In November 2011, Robin - who is a teetotal vegan - revealed he was suffering from liver cancer, which was diagnosed in April.

A nota a seguir é do site da Veja, é raro ter Bee Gees na Veja. A nota não menciona nenhuma informação não oficial e, por isso, é muito amena quanto à saúde do Robin. Uma postura válida da Abril, que não pode especular. Por outro lado, transmite a falsa ideia de que o Robin se recuperou recentemente de um problema de saúde. Belo eu eufemismo.

Robin Gibb volta em março com álbum baseado no naufrágio do Titanic

Londres, 20 jan (EFE).- O cantor Robin Gibb, um dos irmãos integrantes dos Bee Gees, informou nesta sexta-feira que fará seu retorno musical no dia 19 de março com um álbum baseado no naufrágio do Titanic, cujo lançamento coincide com o centenário da tragédia da embarcação de luxo.

Para este disco, gravado no ano passado em Londres, Gibb contou com a participação de seu filho RJ e do tenor Mario Frangoulis, assim como da corista adolescente Isabel Suckling.

'Foi uma experiência incrível trabalhar com meu filho RJ. Trabalhar com um membro de sua família gera um estado de liberdade criativa e sem inibições', explicou o músico, autor de outros álbuns como 'Magnet' e 'Walls Have Eyes'.

Seu novo trabalho com a Royal Philharmonic Orchestra o ajudou no 'caminho da recuperação', afirmou Gibb, de 62 anos, que recentemente teve alguns problemas de saúde que o obrigaram a cancelar alguns eventos.

No entanto, está previsto que o músico se apresente no lançamento de 'The Titanic Requiem', em 10 de abril em Londres, e os ingressos para o show irão à venda neste domingo.

O grupo Bee Gees fez sucesso nos anos 1960 e 1970 com canções como 'Staying Alive'. EFE