Legendary singer-actress Whitney Houston, the most awarded female act of all time and a heart throb of the 80’s with soulful songs like ‘I Will Always Love You’, was found dead at a hotel here on the eve of music industry’s biggest night.

The 48-year-old, whose once sparkling career was torn apart by drug abuse and personal problems, was found dead at the Beverly Hilton hours before her scheduled appearance at a pre-Grammys dinner.

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MKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Two Sikh brothers nicknamed "Malaysia's Bhangra Ambassadors" are trying to become international hit-makers in Punjabi dance music with the help of stars from Britain and India.

The duo officially known as Goldkartz have released an album that is the first serious attempt by a Southeast Asian bhangra recording act to cross over to foreign markets. The CD, titled "24 Karaatz," was launched simultaneously last Friday in Malaysia, Britain, India and other countries.

"We are a fresh product for the bhangra scene," Goldkartz member Manjit Singh Gill said in an interview this week. "We have something different to offer, coming far from the hub of bhangra."

Modern bhangra blends hip-hop, electronic and rock rhythms with centuries-old sounds of Punjabi singing, traditional drums and string instruments. Its popularity grew in Britain in the 1980s after many Punjabis migrated there.

Goldkartz's album features collaborations with well-known vocalists, composers and producers in bhangra and Indian music, including Rishi Rich and Mumzy Stranger from Britain and Shankar Mahadevan of India.

But the brothers insist their mostly self-composed work remains distinctive because their singing is infused with Malaysian cadences unfamiliar to bhangra fans. The novelty of being a bhangra act that isn't from Europe or India could also help, they add.

In 2008, Goldkartz became the first group to release a Malaysian-made bhangra album, selling 5,000 CDs in a modest success.

Their second album was built with a worldwide audience in mind, recorded over 18 months as Manjit and Sukhjit juggled time between the studio and their occupations as a lawyer and law student respectively. They also honed their craft by singing in Malaysian clubs and at concerts in Australia, Canada, Indonesia and Singapore.

Goldkartz's songs highlight themes about romance and having fun. The chorus of their lead single, "Ha Karde," translates as "Darling, just tell me yes once, and let's love each other tonight."

Top bhangra record companies in Britain and India are distributing the album, which was launched at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur by the prime minister's wife. The brothers, who have performed music together since they were teenagers, plan to tour soon to promote the CD.

Music surrounds our lives at different moments of lives, whether we hear it on the radio, on television, from our car and home stereos. Different kinds of music are appropriate for different occasions. We come across it in the mellifluous tunes of a classical concert or in the devotional strains of a bhajan, the wedding band, or the reaper in the fields breaking into song to express the joys of life. Even warbling in the bathroom gives us a happy start to the day. Music has a very powerful therapeutic effect on the human psyche. 

In the modern world, Music has gained an honourable designation of 'HEALING WITHOUT MEDICINE'. Doctors feel that music therapy has been helping them in treating many people with problems like dementia, dyslexia depression and trauma." Many children with learning disability and poor co-ordination have been able to learn, and respond to set pieces of music. Many people with genetic disability have found a new light in the form of music.

Dance critic Ashish Khokar cites an experiment as proof: "Music is produced from sound, and sound affects our sense perception in many ways. Even fish in an aquarium were once made to listen to different kinds of music and it was found that their movements corresponded with the beat of the music. Mind you, fish do not hear, they only felt the vibrations of the sound through water. So you can imagine what a profound effect sound and music might have on the human mind."

We all know that meditation cleanses the system of its negative energies and vibrations. And music is a powerful aid to meditation. In many meditation workshops, music is used to make people more aware of their moods and feelings. People are made to lie down and empty their minds and then listen to the music which is systematically changed so that they can fit through different emotions and state of consciousness.

Many people also believe that any music you respond to positively will work for you, regardless of its content. Thus, even pop music might work wonders for you.

Music affects all of us in some way or the other. It also is the most common interest of many people. People who love music, listen to it while traveling, reading, meditation, walking, some even have soft music while working in their busy routine. It helps them to relax and escape from the stress of our day-to-day lives. It can transport us to another time or place and it is a great feeling of seeing or doing or experiencing something different. People have special music corner for themselves and some people give importance to listening in silence and some people love to read with light music and even some people love listening to music before sleeping. Many people love listening to music in bathroom because they feel it is one of the few rooms in the home where privacy is routinely respected. Some people also love to sing in the bathroom and are called 'bathroom singers'. Music has now become a part of our life as it serves different purposes for each one of us.