Documents from Gilberto Gil's Private Archive

$6.95 (U.S.), $8.95 (CAN.), £5.50 (U.K.), €8.95 (EUROPE), Y2,500 (JAPAN) Billboard Latin Grammys Special Report Follows Page 26 HOT SPOTS 4 More Than Skin Deep Jessica Simpson's new album explores the depths of her 'love of a lifetime' and her career reorientation. 4 A Really Big Show The Beatles brought Beatle- mania to the masses on 'The Ed Sullivan Show.' A two-disc DVD set brings it all back. 78 Dylan Goes Supersonic Once upon a time, it felt so fine-and now it sounds even better. Bob Dylan will soon be available on SACD. $6.95 US $8.95CAN THE INTERNATIONAL NEWSWEEKLY OF MUSIC, VIDEO AND HOME ENTERTAINMENT • www.billboard.com . AUGUST 23, 2003 : High Honors WMG, BMG A Struggle Sting Named Billboard's Century Award Winner For Control BY MELINDA NEWMAN LOS ANGELES—Possessed with a beguiling intellect, deft songwriting and musical skills and a haunting, rough- hewn voice, Sting has been a proven hitmaker for nearly 25 years. Whether as a member of the Police or during his acclaimed solo career, Sting—born Gordon Matthew Sum- ner-has taken fans on an arresting musical journey that has incorporated reggae, jazz and Middle Eastern rhythms and yet has always been anchored by a sure-footed command of classic pop sensibilities. For his enduring influence and contri- butions to music, Sting has been named the 2003 recipient of the Century Award. (Continued on page 15) Latin Rap: Heat Up, Obscenity Down BY LEILA COBO MIAMI—Spanish language rap acts are making inroads into the U.S. Latin market mainstream, propelled by songs with less vulgar, more radio-friendly lyrics. With the added power of broader distribution, two current hitmakers are leading the trend, Puerto Rican artist Don Omar and the West Coast's Akwid. (Continued on page 66) Sergio Gomez, one-half of rap/ banda group Akwid. A Billboard staff report A deal that could create the second-largest music company in the world is looking less like a merger of equals and more like a subtle strug- gle for control. Bertelsmann AG, which is in negotiations with AOL Time Warner to merge their respective music units, is concerned that it might emerge as a junior partner. But what both sides really want is control of the merged unit, according to sources at the German company. The real issue here is control. Financial sav. ings are secondary, the sources say. Executives are widely reported to be in the final stages of secret negotiations, working out (Continued on page 67) The Stones Go Digital BY MELINDA NEWMAN LOS ANGELES-The Rolling Stones are finally shedding their digital-age moss. The veteran mega-group: its label, EMI/Virgin; Best Buy: and ABKCO have struck an exclusive two-week deal with Rhapsody, the online music service, to make virtually the entire Stones cat- alog available for digital purchase or streaming starting Aug. 18. Rhapsody and Best Buy's exclusivity with the Stones lasts through Aug. 31. After that, the EMI/Virgin material will be available for down load through all legitimate services, including Apple's iTunes and MusicNet. The Stones, one of the few remaining super- (Continued on page 67) bandmerch ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL bandmerch MAGIC booth #AL 12800 worldwide touring licensing retail.web sales www.bardmerch.com