BUENA PARK, CA (September 30, 2004) — The 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, presented last month, featured performances by some of music's top stars, along with their indispensable sidekicks:
Yamaha pianos and
digital keyboards.
Highlights of the show included multi-platinum singer/pianist
Alicia Keys performing her hit song, "If I Ain't Got You," which won Best R&B Video and was also nominated for Best Female Video and Best Art Direction. Keys was accompanied by fellow Yamaha artist Stevie Wonder. The performance began with only the sounds of Alicia's and Stevie's voices and their Yamaha Grand pianos. A moment later, Lenny Kravitz joined in for the classic Stevie Wonder hit, "Higher Ground," bringing down the house with a full band, including four Yamaha Motif keyboards. Keys also appeared onstage to honor another Yamaha artist: the late, great Ray Charles, who died in June.
A performance by Christina Aguilera and Nelly started out in a similarly intimate vein, reminiscent of Michelle Pfeiffer and Jeff Bridges in
The Fabulous Baker Boys, with a Yamaha Grand piano front and center. As the song unfolded, it grooved into a speakeasy jam. Aguilera was nominated for her song "The Voice Within" for Best Female Video, Best Cinematography, and Viewer's Choice, while Nelly was up for Best Hip-Hop Video, along with P. Diddy and Murphy Lee, for "Shake Ya Tailfeather."
Popular rap newcomer Kanye West, nominated for Best New Artist and Breakthrough Video for his song "All Falls Down" with Syleen Johnson, played another of his hits, "Through the Wire," accompanied by a Yamaha Grand and a
Motif ES8. Instead of triggering a Chaka Khan sample for the song, he brought the real Chaka Khan onstage for a duet.
Jessica Simpson, who was nominated for Best Pop Video for her song "With You," was accompanied by a Yamaha Grand piano and two Motif ES8 keyboards. Simpson, who arrived at the awards ceremony with husband Nick Lachey, performed the song "Angel" in addition to "With You."
The 2004 MTV Video Music Awards took place at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL. It was the first time in the show's 20-year history that the awards were held in a location other than New York or Los Angeles. The 2003 awards were presented at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.
For more information about Yamaha pianos, write to Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622-6600; email
infostation@yamaha.com; or telephone (714) 522-9011.
