Moustache Champion, Funk Rock Muso For Gramy?

It was an upset for the U.K. and European Facial Forces when rookie, Alexander Antebi of LA funk-glam band Conquistador, became the youngest competitor in history to win the title of World Imperial Moustache Champion at the bi-annual World Beard and Moustache Championships last month.

Antebi came out of left field and owned up to the title of El Conquistador, beating the Germans and the rest of the European old guard at their own game. Hosted by The Handle Bar Club, one of the largest and most well-respected moustache establishments, Antebi, the newest member of the club (featured recently in The New York Times) was crowned world champion in the Imperial Moustache division.

This was the only category exclusively judged by the facial hair master himself, Nick Cave. Bestowed with this great honor, Antebi has since been featured on The CBS Morning Show, BBC, MTV, Time Magazine, LA CityBeat, Defamer, and LAist among many others.

Adding to Antebi’s good news, was the announcement that his lead vocals on Latin band Kinky's first single "Sister Twisted" off their album Reina, has been nominated for two Latin Grammies! Antebi’s LA band, Conquistador, have collaborated on a single with members of Swedish band The Ark, winners of the 2007 Eurovison Song Contest, in Malmo, Sweden, home town of The Ark and The Cardigans. They released their debut EP, ‘The Royal Fifth’, earlier this year, and have just completed recording in New York with the help of Embassy Sound Production's Sean Marquand and Daniel Collas, on their follow up full length, which will be released in 2008.

Antebi visits Australia New Zealand in November and December 2007, to promote charity event, Movember, and Conquistador’s The Royal Fifth release and the upcoming full length.
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About Conquistador
Conquistador started when artist, designer and DJ, Antebi got together with Brian Kehew, author of "Recording The Beatles," keyboard player for The Who, half of the Moog Cookbook and producer of Fiona Apple's 2005 record Extraordinary Machine got together and started experimenting with everything from Earth, Wind and Fire's old tape machine and Larry Graham's custom bass amp to Mellotrons, Chamberlins and famously customized analogue synthesizers. Soon, it evolved from a two-man operation into a big collaboration featuring members of The Who, Moog Cookbook, Kinky, Vhs Or Beta, Banda Uniao Black, Embassy Sound Productions and Nefertiti.
Press Quotes:
"LA CityBeat gives well-deserved props to 26-year-old Bel-Air native, Alexander Antebi. Earlier this month, Antebi became the youngest, first American, and first Jewish moustache champion in the history of the World Beard and Moustache Championships. Antebi is also the face man, of LA glam-funkers Conquistador. Still gotta problem with facial hair, LA?" - LAist.com

"Never one to shy away from a special, if not odd, honor for his personal style, Alexander Antebi was not only one of the youngest competitors in this globally covered event, but he won it." - American Mustache Institute

Conquistador Band Links:
http://www.conquistador.net
http://www.myspace.com/conquistador
http://www.conquistador.net/uploads/mrmustache.pdf - the famed Mr. Mustache Book http://www.americanmustacheinstitute.org/MustacheInterviews.aspx - American Mustache Institute Interview http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1658835_1439551,00.html - Conquistador in Time Magazine
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/evans/galleries/2379/5/#gallery2379 - Conquistador on BBC
http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/btusa/alexantebi.html - Beard Team USA profile

About Movember
Movember the month formally known as November is a charity event held during November each year.

At the start of Movember guys register with a clean shaven face. The Movember participants known as Mo Bros then have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their moustache and along the way raise as much money and awareness about male health issues as possible.

Movember culminates at the end of the month at the Gala Partés. These glamorous and groomed events will see Tom Selleck and David Boon look-a-likes battle it out on the catwalk for their chance to take home the prestigious Man of Movember title.

While growing a Mo is left to the guys, Mo Sistas (ladies that support their guys or just love Mo's!) form an important part of Movember with their powerful feminine touch, by recruiting Mo Bros, helping to raise funds and attending the highly anticipated Gala Partés.

But it' s not all fun and games, so why the extreme behaviour?

Which ever way we look at it, men are far less healthy than women. The average life expectancy for men is five years less than for women.
The obvious question is why?
The answer is because men lack awareness about the very real health issues they face, have a "she'll be right" attitude and are reluctant to see a doctor about an illness or to go for regular medical checks.

The aim of Movember is to change these attitudes, make male health fun by putting the Mo back on the face of fashion and in the process raise some serious funds for key male health issues, including:

Prostate Cancer: because every year in Australia 2,900 men die of prostate cancer - equivalent to the number of women who die from breast cancer annually.

Sourced from www.movember.com

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