Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven, page 133
April 7, 2014
Downtempo/Reggae/Jazz Release: Christos DC 'Long Road' (April 22 2014 - Honest Music)
From a media release:
Downtempo/Reggae/Jazz Release:
CHRISTOS DC ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM
LONG ROAD TO BE RELEASED ON APRIL 22, 2014 ON HONEST MUSIC
• Buy the CD
The artist Christos DC aka Christopher Vrenios, was born and raised in Washington, D.C. by parents who sang opera and taught voice professionally. He takes his name from his Greek heritage using a
nickname given to him by his grandmother & also to represent his birthplace that set the tone of his musical journey. His sound is best described as a blend of Downtempo, Reggae with overtones of jazz.
His career began in the early 90′s producing hip hop & r&b tracks w/ indie artists from DC & New York, but it was his deep appreciation for the sounds coming out of Kingston, Jamaica that led him to record with legendary reggae artists Sly and Robbie as well as the Firehouse Crew. He was later recruited by Don Carlos of Black Uhuru and The Itals to tour. He spent several years on the road as a guitarist and backup vocalist performing in the United States and a few places abroad. During this time, he also produced and recorded an album entitled Offering, which featured various artists from Jamaica singing over his tracks as well as his solo debut.
The album included artists such as the Sugar Minott, Meditations and Don Carlos. The majority of the
album was recorded in Jamaica with the late great Augustus Pablo and other well known session players from the island. He then went on to do session work, playing guitar, bass, and even co-writing with the world famous Thievery Corporation, as well as other groups. In 2008 he released his first full album “Time to Rise” which lead him to creating an independent record label Honest Music, that his latest recording “Under The Sun” was released on.
A brand new single w/ a video from the upcoming album “Long Road” is scheduled to be released early 2014 . The song, entitled “Just Talk To Me” features Kenyatta Hill, (son of the Legendary Joseph Hill from the group Culture). “Music is a gift,” Christos says. “When we share it we should consider the effect it will have on others. This is why I make honest music”.
Downtempo/Reggae/Jazz Release:
CHRISTOS DC ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM
LONG ROAD TO BE RELEASED ON APRIL 22, 2014 ON HONEST MUSIC
• Buy the CD
The artist Christos DC aka Christopher Vrenios, was born and raised in Washington, D.C. by parents who sang opera and taught voice professionally. He takes his name from his Greek heritage using a
nickname given to him by his grandmother & also to represent his birthplace that set the tone of his musical journey. His sound is best described as a blend of Downtempo, Reggae with overtones of jazz.His career began in the early 90′s producing hip hop & r&b tracks w/ indie artists from DC & New York, but it was his deep appreciation for the sounds coming out of Kingston, Jamaica that led him to record with legendary reggae artists Sly and Robbie as well as the Firehouse Crew. He was later recruited by Don Carlos of Black Uhuru and The Itals to tour. He spent several years on the road as a guitarist and backup vocalist performing in the United States and a few places abroad. During this time, he also produced and recorded an album entitled Offering, which featured various artists from Jamaica singing over his tracks as well as his solo debut.
The album included artists such as the Sugar Minott, Meditations and Don Carlos. The majority of the
album was recorded in Jamaica with the late great Augustus Pablo and other well known session players from the island. He then went on to do session work, playing guitar, bass, and even co-writing with the world famous Thievery Corporation, as well as other groups. In 2008 he released his first full album “Time to Rise” which lead him to creating an independent record label Honest Music, that his latest recording “Under The Sun” was released on.A brand new single w/ a video from the upcoming album “Long Road” is scheduled to be released early 2014 . The song, entitled “Just Talk To Me” features Kenyatta Hill, (son of the Legendary Joseph Hill from the group Culture). “Music is a gift,” Christos says. “When we share it we should consider the effect it will have on others. This is why I make honest music”.
Big Band Jazz CD Release & Party: Beverly Taft Meets the Nathan Hiltz Orchestra April 24-26 2014
From a media release:
BEVERLY TAFT MEETS THE NATHAN HILTZ ORCHESTRA
Taft, Hiltz & Co. Bring Back the Glamorous Spirit of Big Band Swing with their Standout Originals
April 24-26 2014 at the Jazz Bistro in Toronto
• Buy the CD
[Toronto ON] For three sizzlin’ nights at the Jazz Bistro this April 24-26, Beverly Taft and co-conspirator & guitarist Nathan Hiltz, celebrate their outstanding jazz and blues originals with the release of “Beverly Taft Meets the Nathan Hiltz Orchestra”.
The chemistry between Taft & Hiltz & Co. on disc ‘n’ stage is undeniable. Add in the talents of a horn section without peer – William Carn (trombone), Shawn Nykwist (tenor sax), Jake Wilkinson (trumpet) and Rich Underhill (alto sax—of Shuffle Demons fame and who btw is also running for Mayor!) – and the dream rhythm section of Artie Roth on bass and Sly Juhas on drums. Special guests like Adrean Farrugia on piano add further shades of colour to this rich musical tapestry.
This release shows Taft to be more than a jazz singer or interpreter. She digs deeper into the language of jazz, towards grasping its very essence for a better understanding of its impact on our lives. As a result, every lyric carries the weight of this deeply-rooted relationship – each word delivered by a singer with an uncanny connection to her material. Taft’s velvety voice and meticulous phrasing proves ideally matched to the band which has coalesced around her.
The disc kicks off with “Clock Tickin,” a slow minor blues inspired by the sounds of the clock above Hiltz’ kitchen table. Juhas’ drums keep tabs on the piece’s electric pulse, under a blistering solo by Underhill.
The highly personal “Gay Repartée at the Ski Chalet” documents her parents’ meeting – both playing key roles in her love of ‘50’s style music – and the track’s slow, slinky groove provides a jumping off
point for solos from Hiltz and Underhill, as you can hear the influences of both Ella and Peggy Lee in Taft’s care.
“Beautiful Listener” provides a direct conversation between artist and audience, hushed and inviting, with enough space to register the quality of Taft’s vocal as it wraps itself around each word – in praise of a memorable audience member.
From the upbeat, acoustic bass-driven “Trav’llin Along” with its fully-charged horn section and Hiltz’ muted guitar, Taft’s voice soars as if smiling, swinging with the grace and power of an old-time big band. As well, a spectacular guitar solo from Hiltz adds fuel to an already well-nourished fire.
All in all, Beverly Taft meets the Nate Hiltz Orchestra showcases the Taft-Hiltz union with a release that heralds a triumphant return to big band jazz thinking. Taft lends an element of glamour to this project, rekindling the glory days of Doris Day (the understated jazz singer as opposed to her movie star persona) and the swing era. As a result, Taft and her beautiful voice do much more than meet Nathan
Hiltz and his Orchestra – she completes the link in a reverent chain, transforming all 9 players into one while they resuscitate a much-loved era of vintage jazz and better times.
Toronto Downtown Jazz presents
Beverly Taft Meets the Nathan Hiltz Orchestra
Nathan Hiltz – guitar, Adrean Farrugia -- piano, Artie Roth -- bass, Morgan Childs -- drums, William Carn on trombone, Shawn Nykwist -- tenor sax, Rich Underhill -- alto sax, Jake Wilkinson – trumpet
April 24-26, 9:00pm
Jazz Bistro (formerly The Senator), 251 Victoria St, Toronto www.jazzbistro.ca
416-363-5299[image error]416-363-5299 Reservations are highly recommended!
CallSend SMSAdd to SkypeYou'll need Skype CreditFree via Skype
BEVERLY TAFT MEETS THE NATHAN HILTZ ORCHESTRA
Taft, Hiltz & Co. Bring Back the Glamorous Spirit of Big Band Swing with their Standout Originals
April 24-26 2014 at the Jazz Bistro in Toronto
• Buy the CD
[Toronto ON] For three sizzlin’ nights at the Jazz Bistro this April 24-26, Beverly Taft and co-conspirator & guitarist Nathan Hiltz, celebrate their outstanding jazz and blues originals with the release of “Beverly Taft Meets the Nathan Hiltz Orchestra”.
The chemistry between Taft & Hiltz & Co. on disc ‘n’ stage is undeniable. Add in the talents of a horn section without peer – William Carn (trombone), Shawn Nykwist (tenor sax), Jake Wilkinson (trumpet) and Rich Underhill (alto sax—of Shuffle Demons fame and who btw is also running for Mayor!) – and the dream rhythm section of Artie Roth on bass and Sly Juhas on drums. Special guests like Adrean Farrugia on piano add further shades of colour to this rich musical tapestry.This release shows Taft to be more than a jazz singer or interpreter. She digs deeper into the language of jazz, towards grasping its very essence for a better understanding of its impact on our lives. As a result, every lyric carries the weight of this deeply-rooted relationship – each word delivered by a singer with an uncanny connection to her material. Taft’s velvety voice and meticulous phrasing proves ideally matched to the band which has coalesced around her.
The disc kicks off with “Clock Tickin,” a slow minor blues inspired by the sounds of the clock above Hiltz’ kitchen table. Juhas’ drums keep tabs on the piece’s electric pulse, under a blistering solo by Underhill.
The highly personal “Gay Repartée at the Ski Chalet” documents her parents’ meeting – both playing key roles in her love of ‘50’s style music – and the track’s slow, slinky groove provides a jumping off
point for solos from Hiltz and Underhill, as you can hear the influences of both Ella and Peggy Lee in Taft’s care. “Beautiful Listener” provides a direct conversation between artist and audience, hushed and inviting, with enough space to register the quality of Taft’s vocal as it wraps itself around each word – in praise of a memorable audience member.
From the upbeat, acoustic bass-driven “Trav’llin Along” with its fully-charged horn section and Hiltz’ muted guitar, Taft’s voice soars as if smiling, swinging with the grace and power of an old-time big band. As well, a spectacular guitar solo from Hiltz adds fuel to an already well-nourished fire.
All in all, Beverly Taft meets the Nate Hiltz Orchestra showcases the Taft-Hiltz union with a release that heralds a triumphant return to big band jazz thinking. Taft lends an element of glamour to this project, rekindling the glory days of Doris Day (the understated jazz singer as opposed to her movie star persona) and the swing era. As a result, Taft and her beautiful voice do much more than meet Nathan
Hiltz and his Orchestra – she completes the link in a reverent chain, transforming all 9 players into one while they resuscitate a much-loved era of vintage jazz and better times.Toronto Downtown Jazz presents
Beverly Taft Meets the Nathan Hiltz Orchestra
Nathan Hiltz – guitar, Adrean Farrugia -- piano, Artie Roth -- bass, Morgan Childs -- drums, William Carn on trombone, Shawn Nykwist -- tenor sax, Rich Underhill -- alto sax, Jake Wilkinson – trumpet
April 24-26, 9:00pm
Jazz Bistro (formerly The Senator), 251 Victoria St, Toronto www.jazzbistro.ca
416-363-5299[image error]416-363-5299 Reservations are highly recommended!
CallSend SMSAdd to SkypeYou'll need Skype CreditFree via Skype
Urban Street Dance: Bboyizm in Music Creates Opportunity April 24 & 25 2014 at Harbourfront Toronto
From a media release:
DanceWorks presents
Ottawa's Bboyizm in Music Creates Opportunity
- forging a new frontier for urban street dance -
April 24 & 25, 2014 at Harbourfront Toronto
• Tickets Here
Toronto - DanceWorks, Toronto's longest-running contemporary dance series now in its 37th season, proudly presents Ottawa's award-winning Bboyizm in a dynamic new work by its founder and artistic director Yvon Soglo a.k.a. b-boy Crazy Smooth. One of Canada's top street dancers, Crazy Smooth is dedicated to street dance culture. His newest creation, Music Creates Opportunity, forges a new
frontier for urban street dance that runs Friday April 25 to Saturday April 26 at Harbourfront Centre's Enwave Theatre.
Bboyizm delivers precise and mastered technique, explosive movement, synchronicity and individualism together - as well as a festive and communicative joyous spirit of movement, music and life. Bboyizm was founded by Crazy Smooth in 2004 with the vision of elevating and preserving the authenticity and essence of street dance and introducing it into the world of the performing arts. Drawing on his technical background in rocking and b-boying, Crazy Smooth created his first stage piece IZM in 2010 as an exploration into the very nature of artistic expression. DanceWorks presented it in 2012 where it earned a Dora nomination for Outstanding Production in the Dance Division as well as critic raves:
"Absolutely belongs on the mainstream professional stage. Bboyizm raises the bar of how hip-hop can make an artistic statement that it is more than just b-battles and dance-offsŠcarrying urban dance to the next level... Every one of the Bboyizm dancers is very talentedŠ Bboyizm is definitely going places as the dancers carve out a new frontier for urban street dance." - Paula Citron, The Globe and Mail, 2012
While IZM challenged audiences' expectations of both street dance and the stage, Music Creates Opportunity considers the intersection of rhythm, expression and community in the making of music and dance.
Smooth's previous study of traditional partnering and contact improvisation led him to conclude that street dancers express themselves in relationship to the music while "contact improv" dancers express themselves through a relationship with other moving bodies. The contrast between these two styles ignited his desire to explore the possibilities of partnering concepts and adapting it to his aesthetic.
Music Creates Opportunity introduces his new concept of "Rhythmic Contact" into the vocabulary of street dance.
Music Creates Opportunity features traditional street dances including rocking, b-boying, house dancing and pantsula - a street dance from Soweto, South Africa - and showcases music as a universal language that offers a multitude of possibilities for expression. Whether the music is an external force or created by the dancers themselves, music is the critical link between dancers. Their environment becomes a theatre - sometimes harmonious, sometimes antagonistic - but always transformative. http://www.bboyizm.ca
Bboyizm are currently on tour with Music Creates Opportunity. They appeared at Charlottetown's Confederation Centre on March 15 and are currently touring Ontario: Kirkland Lake (Mar 22), Deep River (Mar 26), St. Catharines (Mar 29), Dryden (Apr 2), Sioux Lookout (Apr 5), Burlington (Apr 11), Kitchener, ON (Apr 17), Toronto (Apr 24-26), culminating June 14 at the Canada Dance Festival in Ottawa.
DanceWorks presents Ottawa's Bboyizm in Music Creates Opportunity
choreographed by Crazy Smooth
Friday April 25 - Saturday, Saturday April 26, 2014, 8pm
Part of Harbourfront Centre's NextSteps at Enwave Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto
Tickets: $18.75 -$37.25
Harbourfront Centre Box Office: 416-973-4000[image error]416-973-4000 OR online at www.danceworks.ca
CallSend SMSAdd to SkypeYou'll need Skype CreditFree via Skype
DanceWorks presents
Ottawa's Bboyizm in Music Creates Opportunity
- forging a new frontier for urban street dance -
April 24 & 25, 2014 at Harbourfront Toronto
• Tickets Here
Toronto - DanceWorks, Toronto's longest-running contemporary dance series now in its 37th season, proudly presents Ottawa's award-winning Bboyizm in a dynamic new work by its founder and artistic director Yvon Soglo a.k.a. b-boy Crazy Smooth. One of Canada's top street dancers, Crazy Smooth is dedicated to street dance culture. His newest creation, Music Creates Opportunity, forges a new
frontier for urban street dance that runs Friday April 25 to Saturday April 26 at Harbourfront Centre's Enwave Theatre.Bboyizm delivers precise and mastered technique, explosive movement, synchronicity and individualism together - as well as a festive and communicative joyous spirit of movement, music and life. Bboyizm was founded by Crazy Smooth in 2004 with the vision of elevating and preserving the authenticity and essence of street dance and introducing it into the world of the performing arts. Drawing on his technical background in rocking and b-boying, Crazy Smooth created his first stage piece IZM in 2010 as an exploration into the very nature of artistic expression. DanceWorks presented it in 2012 where it earned a Dora nomination for Outstanding Production in the Dance Division as well as critic raves:
"Absolutely belongs on the mainstream professional stage. Bboyizm raises the bar of how hip-hop can make an artistic statement that it is more than just b-battles and dance-offsŠcarrying urban dance to the next level... Every one of the Bboyizm dancers is very talentedŠ Bboyizm is definitely going places as the dancers carve out a new frontier for urban street dance." - Paula Citron, The Globe and Mail, 2012
While IZM challenged audiences' expectations of both street dance and the stage, Music Creates Opportunity considers the intersection of rhythm, expression and community in the making of music and dance.
Smooth's previous study of traditional partnering and contact improvisation led him to conclude that street dancers express themselves in relationship to the music while "contact improv" dancers express themselves through a relationship with other moving bodies. The contrast between these two styles ignited his desire to explore the possibilities of partnering concepts and adapting it to his aesthetic.
Music Creates Opportunity introduces his new concept of "Rhythmic Contact" into the vocabulary of street dance.Music Creates Opportunity features traditional street dances including rocking, b-boying, house dancing and pantsula - a street dance from Soweto, South Africa - and showcases music as a universal language that offers a multitude of possibilities for expression. Whether the music is an external force or created by the dancers themselves, music is the critical link between dancers. Their environment becomes a theatre - sometimes harmonious, sometimes antagonistic - but always transformative. http://www.bboyizm.ca
Bboyizm are currently on tour with Music Creates Opportunity. They appeared at Charlottetown's Confederation Centre on March 15 and are currently touring Ontario: Kirkland Lake (Mar 22), Deep River (Mar 26), St. Catharines (Mar 29), Dryden (Apr 2), Sioux Lookout (Apr 5), Burlington (Apr 11), Kitchener, ON (Apr 17), Toronto (Apr 24-26), culminating June 14 at the Canada Dance Festival in Ottawa.
DanceWorks presents Ottawa's Bboyizm in Music Creates Opportunity
choreographed by Crazy Smooth
Friday April 25 - Saturday, Saturday April 26, 2014, 8pm
Part of Harbourfront Centre's NextSteps at Enwave Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto
Tickets: $18.75 -$37.25
Harbourfront Centre Box Office: 416-973-4000[image error]416-973-4000 OR online at www.danceworks.ca
CallSend SMSAdd to SkypeYou'll need Skype CreditFree via Skype
March 31, 2014
Coming Soon from Nacional Records: Santé Les Amis and Sudamericana (May 27 2014)
From my friends at Nacional Records:
After Opening For Foals & Franz Ferdinand,
Santé Les Amis Announce USA Debut - Sudamericana (Nacional Records - May 27, 2014)
Album And Performance at LAMC
Rolling Stone (Argentina) Names Santé Les Amis a ‘New Band to Watch’
“Electro rock that you can’t help but dance to, full of cowbell, infectious drumbeats, and all-around fun” Indie Shuffle
“Funky, dance-floor-igniting goodness” Remezcla
With a catchy fusion of rock and electronica, 'Sudamericana' is the debut album from acclaimed indie band Santé Les Amis, which will be released May 27th by Nacional Records.
Santé Les Amis has toured with Franz Ferdinand, Foals and Calle 13, making the band a fan favorite among indie rock fans. With tracks in English and Spanish, 'Sudamericana' has won praise from Indie Shuffle and Remezcla, who celebrated their “funky, dance-floor-igniting goodness.”
Santé Les Amis music will make their U.S. debut at the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) in New York this July.
Watch the Video For The First Single “Brasil”:
After Opening For Foals & Franz Ferdinand,
Santé Les Amis Announce USA Debut - Sudamericana (Nacional Records - May 27, 2014)
Album And Performance at LAMC
Rolling Stone (Argentina) Names Santé Les Amis a ‘New Band to Watch’
“Electro rock that you can’t help but dance to, full of cowbell, infectious drumbeats, and all-around fun” Indie Shuffle
“Funky, dance-floor-igniting goodness” Remezcla
With a catchy fusion of rock and electronica, 'Sudamericana' is the debut album from acclaimed indie band Santé Les Amis, which will be released May 27th by Nacional Records.Santé Les Amis has toured with Franz Ferdinand, Foals and Calle 13, making the band a fan favorite among indie rock fans. With tracks in English and Spanish, 'Sudamericana' has won praise from Indie Shuffle and Remezcla, who celebrated their “funky, dance-floor-igniting goodness.”
Santé Les Amis music will make their U.S. debut at the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) in New York this July.
Watch the Video For The First Single “Brasil”:
Off Broadway Smash Hit Here Lies Love - Performances Begin April 14 2014 / Opening Night Set for May 1 2014
From a media release:
*LOVE IS IN THE AIR*
SMASH HIT
H E R E L I E S L O V E
SETS CAST AND DATES
FOR ITS RETURN TO
NEW YORK CITY
• TICKETS ON SALE NOW
• PERFORMANCES BEGIN APRIL 14th
• OPENING NIGHT SET FOR MAY 1st
New York, NY – Joey Parnes Productions and EMURSIVE (Jonathan Hochwald, Arthur Karpati, and Randy Weiner, principals) have announced casting and dates for The Public Theater's production of David Byrne and Alex Timbers' smash hit musical, Here Lies Love. Performances will begin on April 14th with an opening night set for May 1st at The Public Theater's LuEsther Hall (425 Lafayette Street,
New York City) for an open-ended commercial run. The principal cast from the 2013 world premiere of Here Lies Lovereturns, including Ruthie Ann Miles and Jose Llana as Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos, and Conrad Ricamora as Ninoy Aquino.
Under the direction of Alex Timbers, Here Lies Love played a critically raved-about, sold-out run last year at the same space, which was extended by popular demand four times. Here Lies Love was conceived by David Byrne, and features lyrics by Byrne, music by Byrne and Fatboy Slim, additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo, and choreography by Annie-B Parson. Tickets for Here Lies Love will go on sale March 10thand range from $99-$139. For more info, visit www.herelieslove.com beginning March 10th.
Here Lies Love features, in alphabetical order: Renee Albulario, Carol Angeli, Melody Butiu, Natalie Cortez, Debralee Daco, Jose Llana, Kelvin Moon Loh, Jaygee Macapugay, Jeigh Madjus, Ruthie Ann Miles, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Conrad Ricamora, George Salazar, and Janelle Velasquez.
Within a pulsating dance club atmosphere, David Byrne and Fatboy Slim deconstruct the astonishing journey of Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos retracing her meteoric rise to power and subsequent descent into infamy and disgrace at the end of the People Power Revolution. Here Lies Love is neither a period piece nor a biography, neither a play nor a traditional musical but an immersive theatrical event
combining songs influenced by four decades of dance music, adrenaline-fueled choreography, and a remarkable 360-degree scenic and video environment to go beyond Imelda’s near-mythic obsession with shoes and explore the tragic consequences of the abuse of power.
Here Lies Love is a 90-minute theatrical experience. Set within a dance club atmosphere, audiences will stand and move with the actors. Comfortable shoes and clothing are recommended. Dancing is encouraged.
"There was an overwhelming desire, both by the fans of this work and those of us who are committed to it, to get it back to New York this season," said producer Joey Parnes. "We spent of a lot of time looking for the perfect space to remount it, so when its original home became available, it created a perfect opportunity."
*LOVE IS IN THE AIR*
SMASH HIT
H E R E L I E S L O V E
SETS CAST AND DATES
FOR ITS RETURN TO
NEW YORK CITY
• TICKETS ON SALE NOW
• PERFORMANCES BEGIN APRIL 14th
• OPENING NIGHT SET FOR MAY 1st
New York, NY – Joey Parnes Productions and EMURSIVE (Jonathan Hochwald, Arthur Karpati, and Randy Weiner, principals) have announced casting and dates for The Public Theater's production of David Byrne and Alex Timbers' smash hit musical, Here Lies Love. Performances will begin on April 14th with an opening night set for May 1st at The Public Theater's LuEsther Hall (425 Lafayette Street,
New York City) for an open-ended commercial run. The principal cast from the 2013 world premiere of Here Lies Lovereturns, including Ruthie Ann Miles and Jose Llana as Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos, and Conrad Ricamora as Ninoy Aquino.Under the direction of Alex Timbers, Here Lies Love played a critically raved-about, sold-out run last year at the same space, which was extended by popular demand four times. Here Lies Love was conceived by David Byrne, and features lyrics by Byrne, music by Byrne and Fatboy Slim, additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo, and choreography by Annie-B Parson. Tickets for Here Lies Love will go on sale March 10thand range from $99-$139. For more info, visit www.herelieslove.com beginning March 10th.
Here Lies Love features, in alphabetical order: Renee Albulario, Carol Angeli, Melody Butiu, Natalie Cortez, Debralee Daco, Jose Llana, Kelvin Moon Loh, Jaygee Macapugay, Jeigh Madjus, Ruthie Ann Miles, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Conrad Ricamora, George Salazar, and Janelle Velasquez.
Within a pulsating dance club atmosphere, David Byrne and Fatboy Slim deconstruct the astonishing journey of Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos retracing her meteoric rise to power and subsequent descent into infamy and disgrace at the end of the People Power Revolution. Here Lies Love is neither a period piece nor a biography, neither a play nor a traditional musical but an immersive theatrical event
combining songs influenced by four decades of dance music, adrenaline-fueled choreography, and a remarkable 360-degree scenic and video environment to go beyond Imelda’s near-mythic obsession with shoes and explore the tragic consequences of the abuse of power.Here Lies Love is a 90-minute theatrical experience. Set within a dance club atmosphere, audiences will stand and move with the actors. Comfortable shoes and clothing are recommended. Dancing is encouraged.
"There was an overwhelming desire, both by the fans of this work and those of us who are committed to it, to get it back to New York this season," said producer Joey Parnes. "We spent of a lot of time looking for the perfect space to remount it, so when its original home became available, it created a perfect opportunity."
Performance Art: Etobicoke Grannies tweet their #legacy April 12, 2014 – #HatchTO Harbourfront, Toronto
From a media release:
Performance Art:
Etobicoke Grannies tweet their #legacy in opening HATCH performance – April 12, 2014 – #HatchTO
Harbourfront, Toronto
TORONTO, ON – Featuring three women over 65, Grandma meets the Twitterverse in this performance project, which examines what is left behind and why we look to leave a legacy. Harbourfront Centre is pleased to present #legacy as the first project of the HATCH 2014 season. The piece is co-created and directed by Rob Kempson, a theatre artist who regularly works in arts
education and applied theatre. Equal parts community arts project and interactive stage piece, #legacy promises to ask provocative questions about how we define others and ourselves by what we share both in person and online.
When three women over 65 get on stage to share their thoughts on legacy, it’s bound to be poignant; when they are asked to tweet about it, anything can happen. Joan, Judith and Donna are new to social media and do not consider themselves ‘artists’. For Kempson’s HATCH performance experiment, all three women have undertaken the task of reflection, exploring what it means to leave a legacy, to create something permanent, something memorable. These three women: @judith_dove, @Joan_Belford2 and @McCroq have been tweeting throughout the creation process using the #HatchTO and #Legacy hashtags. They will continue to tweet during the performance, in an effort to understand how sharing content online can leave a legacy of its own.
What are the implications of an online legacy that is based on frequency and not potency? Audiences will have the chance to hear the script on stage and engage with the “Twitter script” online—a series of reflections, considerations and questions from the performers that will be tweeted as the piece is being played out. Whether audiences come to sit in the tweet seats with their smartphone or choose to watch as the online story develops through projection on stage, this is an experiment in combining new technologies and community-based art that will touch hearts and ask big questions.
“We make assumptions about the capacities of older adults,” suggests Kempson, who began co-creating #legacy after facilitating a multi-generational project with these women at their church. “Joan, Judith, and Donna carry a great deal of truth with them. They know who they are and they’re willing to take the artistic risk to share it. I think audiences will be surprised by these women and what they have to offer, from the things they tweet to the stories they reveal on stage.”
Rob Kempson is a multi-faceted theatre artist and artist-educator, and for this project, is working in collaboration with production designer Beth Kates and dramaturg Samantha Serles. Kempson’s work has regularly led to community-based collaborations, including interactive exhibits for Casa Loma and Opera Atelier, as well as the creation of collective work with students and non-artists of all ages. He has taught workshops in community-based collective creation with the York and Peel Regional School Boards, the Council of Drama and Dance Educators and the Toronto District School Board Arts Co-Op, as well as at a number of Toronto theatre companies. He was most recently seen starring in his musical The Way Back To Thursday at Theatre Passe Muraille.
• Tickets for #legacy and other HATCH 2014 projects are available via Harbourfront Centre’s Box Office. Patrons can call 416-973-4000[image error]416-973-4000, visit 235 Queens Quay West and/or go online for all ticket inquiries.
ABOUT HATCH:
Celebrating its tenth year, HATCH is a key initiative in Harbourfront Centre’s mission to develop local artists and their unique practices. Curated by Michael Wheeler and Aislinn Rose, the 2014 HATCH residency and mentorship programme provides resources and professional assistance to a new generation of engaging and innovative contemporary artists.
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Performance Art:
Etobicoke Grannies tweet their #legacy in opening HATCH performance – April 12, 2014 – #HatchTO
Harbourfront, Toronto
TORONTO, ON – Featuring three women over 65, Grandma meets the Twitterverse in this performance project, which examines what is left behind and why we look to leave a legacy. Harbourfront Centre is pleased to present #legacy as the first project of the HATCH 2014 season. The piece is co-created and directed by Rob Kempson, a theatre artist who regularly works in arts
education and applied theatre. Equal parts community arts project and interactive stage piece, #legacy promises to ask provocative questions about how we define others and ourselves by what we share both in person and online. When three women over 65 get on stage to share their thoughts on legacy, it’s bound to be poignant; when they are asked to tweet about it, anything can happen. Joan, Judith and Donna are new to social media and do not consider themselves ‘artists’. For Kempson’s HATCH performance experiment, all three women have undertaken the task of reflection, exploring what it means to leave a legacy, to create something permanent, something memorable. These three women: @judith_dove, @Joan_Belford2 and @McCroq have been tweeting throughout the creation process using the #HatchTO and #Legacy hashtags. They will continue to tweet during the performance, in an effort to understand how sharing content online can leave a legacy of its own.
What are the implications of an online legacy that is based on frequency and not potency? Audiences will have the chance to hear the script on stage and engage with the “Twitter script” online—a series of reflections, considerations and questions from the performers that will be tweeted as the piece is being played out. Whether audiences come to sit in the tweet seats with their smartphone or choose to watch as the online story develops through projection on stage, this is an experiment in combining new technologies and community-based art that will touch hearts and ask big questions.
“We make assumptions about the capacities of older adults,” suggests Kempson, who began co-creating #legacy after facilitating a multi-generational project with these women at their church. “Joan, Judith, and Donna carry a great deal of truth with them. They know who they are and they’re willing to take the artistic risk to share it. I think audiences will be surprised by these women and what they have to offer, from the things they tweet to the stories they reveal on stage.”Rob Kempson is a multi-faceted theatre artist and artist-educator, and for this project, is working in collaboration with production designer Beth Kates and dramaturg Samantha Serles. Kempson’s work has regularly led to community-based collaborations, including interactive exhibits for Casa Loma and Opera Atelier, as well as the creation of collective work with students and non-artists of all ages. He has taught workshops in community-based collective creation with the York and Peel Regional School Boards, the Council of Drama and Dance Educators and the Toronto District School Board Arts Co-Op, as well as at a number of Toronto theatre companies. He was most recently seen starring in his musical The Way Back To Thursday at Theatre Passe Muraille.
• Tickets for #legacy and other HATCH 2014 projects are available via Harbourfront Centre’s Box Office. Patrons can call 416-973-4000[image error]416-973-4000, visit 235 Queens Quay West and/or go online for all ticket inquiries.ABOUT HATCH:
Celebrating its tenth year, HATCH is a key initiative in Harbourfront Centre’s mission to develop local artists and their unique practices. Curated by Michael Wheeler and Aislinn Rose, the 2014 HATCH residency and mentorship programme provides resources and professional assistance to a new generation of engaging and innovative contemporary artists.
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Montreal Premiere: Theatre 317 Presents The Memory of Water April 8 to 12 2014
From a media release:
OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING COMEDY HAS MONTREAL PREMIERE
Theatre 317 Presents
The Memory of Water
Written by Shelagh Stephenson
Directed by Corey Castle
Tuesday, April 8 - Saturday, April 12, 2014
• Achetez vos billets en ligne / Buy your tickets online
• Réservations / Reservations: (514) 989-1336[image error](514) 989-1336
The funniest drama you’ll ever see…
Montreal – Theater 317 proudly presents the Montreal premiere of The Memory of Water by Shelagh Stephenson, directed by Corey Castle, from April 8th - 12th at Theatre La Chapelle.
In The Memory of Water, three sisters, each haunted by their own demons, gather in a highly charged atmosphere on the eve of their mother's funeral. With a storm raging outside, they laugh, cry, rage and bicker as the conflicts of the past and their hold on the present are mercilessly exposed.
Complicating their interactions is the fragile nature of memory; no two sisters remember their childhood experiences in the same way. Yet, they are sisters and must find a way to come together. Unable to connect with each other, they find dangerous, desperate, poignant and wildly funny ways to break through.
Theatre 317 artistic director, Munirah Amra, chose this play because for her, it is about the two most important things in life, memory and love, “The Memory of Water is life affirming and bittersweet, cheeky and profound, gentle and cruel. It offers us an evening of laughter and the opportunity to celebrate what makes us human.”
This searing comedy exposes the patterns and strains of family life in a way that will be familiar to all. Winner of the British Laurence Olivier Award in 2000 for Best Comedy, The Memory of Water promises to be one of those great elucidating nights at the theatre, holding a mirror up to anyone with a sibling.
The cast includes Katherine Cleland, Mylène Dinh-Robic (from the hit new TV series 19-2), Milan Duchêne, Anais Kassardjian, Azeddine Kettani, Jéromine Lorre-Déjoie and Ani Shahbazian. Lighting design is by Marie-Reine Corvellec and set design by Olivier Donohue.
The Memory of Water
Theatre 317
Playing at Theatre La Chapelle, 3700 rue St. Dominique
Tuesday, April 8-Saturday, April 12 at 8:00pm
Tickets: 25$ regular, 20$ students
Achetez vos billets en ligne / Buy your tickets online:
Réservations / Reservations: (514) 989-1336[image error](514) 989-1336
CallSend SMSAdd to SkypeYou'll need Skype CreditFree via Skype
OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING COMEDY HAS MONTREAL PREMIERE
Theatre 317 Presents
The Memory of Water
Written by Shelagh Stephenson
Directed by Corey Castle
Tuesday, April 8 - Saturday, April 12, 2014
• Achetez vos billets en ligne / Buy your tickets online
• Réservations / Reservations: (514) 989-1336[image error](514) 989-1336
The funniest drama you’ll ever see…
Montreal – Theater 317 proudly presents the Montreal premiere of The Memory of Water by Shelagh Stephenson, directed by Corey Castle, from April 8th - 12th at Theatre La Chapelle.
In The Memory of Water, three sisters, each haunted by their own demons, gather in a highly charged atmosphere on the eve of their mother's funeral. With a storm raging outside, they laugh, cry, rage and bicker as the conflicts of the past and their hold on the present are mercilessly exposed.Complicating their interactions is the fragile nature of memory; no two sisters remember their childhood experiences in the same way. Yet, they are sisters and must find a way to come together. Unable to connect with each other, they find dangerous, desperate, poignant and wildly funny ways to break through.
Theatre 317 artistic director, Munirah Amra, chose this play because for her, it is about the two most important things in life, memory and love, “The Memory of Water is life affirming and bittersweet, cheeky and profound, gentle and cruel. It offers us an evening of laughter and the opportunity to celebrate what makes us human.”
This searing comedy exposes the patterns and strains of family life in a way that will be familiar to all. Winner of the British Laurence Olivier Award in 2000 for Best Comedy, The Memory of Water promises to be one of those great elucidating nights at the theatre, holding a mirror up to anyone with a sibling.
The cast includes Katherine Cleland, Mylène Dinh-Robic (from the hit new TV series 19-2), Milan Duchêne, Anais Kassardjian, Azeddine Kettani, Jéromine Lorre-Déjoie and Ani Shahbazian. Lighting design is by Marie-Reine Corvellec and set design by Olivier Donohue.
The Memory of WaterTheatre 317
Playing at Theatre La Chapelle, 3700 rue St. Dominique
Tuesday, April 8-Saturday, April 12 at 8:00pm
Tickets: 25$ regular, 20$ students
Achetez vos billets en ligne / Buy your tickets online:
Réservations / Reservations: (514) 989-1336[image error](514) 989-1336
CallSend SMSAdd to SkypeYou'll need Skype CreditFree via Skype
Small World Music Toronto Presents: the 12th Annual Asian Music Series April 5 to May 31, 2014
From a media release:
Small World Music Presents:
the 12th Annual Asian Music Series
April 5 to May 31, 2014
• Tickets & info for all shows
TORONTO - We're delighted to announce the lineup for the 12th Annual Asian Music Series. From April 5th through May 31st, we present ten events embracing the scope of music, new and old, from across the Asian cultural landscape. The series celebrates Asian and South Asian Heritage Month,
bringing together emerging local artists with legendary figures and communities from across the GTA to celebrate musical heritage. The series is generously supported by TD Bank.
As announced previously, it all starts with the great Zakir Hussain and his Masters of Percussion project that hits the stage at Roy Thomson Hall on April 5th. It's coming up soon and tickets are moving, so now would be a good time to visit here to secure your seats. Those of you who were there for Zakir's last appearance in town with Shivkumar Sharma during last year's Asian Music Series, will remember what a magical concert it was. We've got a video that revisits that event and delves into some aspects of music and culture with two of the great artists of their generations. Well worth a look.
The series will end on a high note as well - we're now able to announce a major closing event, as the Sony Centre and Asian Music Series collaborate to present Shafqat Amanat Ali. One of the preeminent voices in South Asian music, Shafqat is a major star in the soundscape of Bollywood, contemporary fusion and semi-classical music. With his soulful voice, tremendous stage presence and a ten-piece backing band, he promises an electrifying performance. Tickets are on sale as of today, so you can be among the first in line!
The full lineup for the series looks like this:
Saturday April 5th - Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion at Roy Thomson HallWednesday April 16th - Rakkatak at Lula LoungeSaturday April 19th - Jonita Gandhi w. Akash Gandhi & Sahil Khan at Rose TheatreThursday April 29th - Autorickshaw at Lula LoungeSaturday May 3rd - Gods Robots & eccodek at El MocamboSunday May 4th - Sultans of String with Anwar Khurshid at Kingston Road UnitedSaturday May 10th - Spire at Small World Music CentreSaturday May 17th - Kala Ramnath and Vandana Vishwas at SVBF AuditoriumWednesday May 21st - Ron Davis' Symphronica w. Nagata Shachu Taiko at Lula LoungeSaturday May 31st - Shafqat Amanat Ali at Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
Small World Music Presents:
the 12th Annual Asian Music Series
April 5 to May 31, 2014
• Tickets & info for all shows
TORONTO - We're delighted to announce the lineup for the 12th Annual Asian Music Series. From April 5th through May 31st, we present ten events embracing the scope of music, new and old, from across the Asian cultural landscape. The series celebrates Asian and South Asian Heritage Month,
bringing together emerging local artists with legendary figures and communities from across the GTA to celebrate musical heritage. The series is generously supported by TD Bank.As announced previously, it all starts with the great Zakir Hussain and his Masters of Percussion project that hits the stage at Roy Thomson Hall on April 5th. It's coming up soon and tickets are moving, so now would be a good time to visit here to secure your seats. Those of you who were there for Zakir's last appearance in town with Shivkumar Sharma during last year's Asian Music Series, will remember what a magical concert it was. We've got a video that revisits that event and delves into some aspects of music and culture with two of the great artists of their generations. Well worth a look.
The series will end on a high note as well - we're now able to announce a major closing event, as the Sony Centre and Asian Music Series collaborate to present Shafqat Amanat Ali. One of the preeminent voices in South Asian music, Shafqat is a major star in the soundscape of Bollywood, contemporary fusion and semi-classical music. With his soulful voice, tremendous stage presence and a ten-piece backing band, he promises an electrifying performance. Tickets are on sale as of today, so you can be among the first in line!The full lineup for the series looks like this:
Saturday April 5th - Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion at Roy Thomson HallWednesday April 16th - Rakkatak at Lula LoungeSaturday April 19th - Jonita Gandhi w. Akash Gandhi & Sahil Khan at Rose TheatreThursday April 29th - Autorickshaw at Lula LoungeSaturday May 3rd - Gods Robots & eccodek at El MocamboSunday May 4th - Sultans of String with Anwar Khurshid at Kingston Road UnitedSaturday May 10th - Spire at Small World Music CentreSaturday May 17th - Kala Ramnath and Vandana Vishwas at SVBF AuditoriumWednesday May 21st - Ron Davis' Symphronica w. Nagata Shachu Taiko at Lula LoungeSaturday May 31st - Shafqat Amanat Ali at Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
Unsound Festival New York City: German Dub Techno Legends Porter Ricks & More at The Bunker April 5 2014
From a media release:
Part of the Unsound Festival New York City
April 5, 2014 at The Bunker
NEW YORK CITY - On Saturday night of Unsound Festival New York, The Bunker, who has partnered with the festival since its inception, will present an evening including a long overdue live appearance of the phenomenal dub techno duo Porter Ricks (Thomas Köner / Andy Mellwig). The duo were been brought back into the spotlight following the reissue of their rare but acclaimed 1996 debut
album "Biokinetics" (a Techno classic if there ever were one) on the Type label as their 100th release in late 2011 (the record was originally released on Basic Channel's Chain Reaction imprint). Porter Ricks came out of retirement especially to perform at Unsound Festival Krakow last October, so it seemed only fitting to bring them to New York this spring.Appearing in place of Vladislav Delay, who cancelled his US tour, is acclaimed New York based electronic, drone, experimental producer Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (aka Lichens). Lowe's unique electronic music can be sampled on albums like "Timon Irnok Manta". Lowe has also been reaching new audiences far and wide via his lead performance in the new film "A Spell To Ward Off The Darkness".
Joining these titan of electronic music in delivering stunning live performance will be two homegrown Brooklyn based talents - fractured house renegade Ital (two acclaimed albums on Planet Mu) joined by shadowy producer Aurora Halal for the worldwide live debut performance as Ital & Halal, as well Leisure Muffin, fresh off the releasing the first ever 12" on The Bunker's new record label will perform his hard to pin down modular synth infected take on Kosmische music.
Looking back to Europe, Miles, one half of Demdike Stare, who also records solo works under the name will take to the decks for a unique DJ set and making his New York debut is another Norwegian addition to the festival, Le Petit Garcon, presenting his take on isolated Ambient Techno using a vast expanse of shoegazing guitars, synth harmonics and churning, ice-breaking bass.
Recently Released: Nils Bultmann - Troubadour Blue (innova Recordings - 25 February 2014)
From a media release:
Recently Released:
Nils Bultmann - Troubadour Blue
(innova Recordings - 25 February 2014)
Composers: Nils Bultmann
Performers: Nils Bultmann, Hank Dutt, Stephen Kent, Parry Karp
• Check It Out & Buy It Here
Nils Bultmann wears a lot of hats: violist, improviser, composer, collaborator. But Bultmann’s innova Recordings debut, Troubadour Blue, reveals that he’s been hard at work stitching all those hats together into one big enough to encompass all of his diverse interests. Falling into a luminous space
between through-composition and improvisation, the music here proudly shows its roots in process.
“Ten Viola Duets” evolved organically over years, built from bits and pieces of solo improvisations and drawn out from sketches into complete works. Working with Kronos Quartet violist Hank Dutt helped Bultmann solidify and complete the collection of pieces.
Elsewhere, Bultmann explores the timbral relationship between the viola and the didjeridu in “From the Depths,” a multi-movement work honed from improvisational duets. For “Lucid,” Bultmann blends improvised material into a more structured piece in a work that he would frequently use to open up concerts as a way of arriving at the instruments and connecting with the audience. The album closes with “Suite for Solo Cello,” performed by Parry Karp and based on Bach’s “Cello Suite #1 in G Major,” a work that Bultmann calls a “foundational pillar of [his] musical life.”
Throughout, the pieces on Troubadour Blue share a peripatetic spirit, a desire to wander and explore, to be happy in the journey but also sure of a destination. By working with others, Bultmann expands his sense of his own work and in turn brings forth music that is open, warm-hearted and generous.
Recently Released:
Nils Bultmann - Troubadour Blue
(innova Recordings - 25 February 2014)
Composers: Nils Bultmann
Performers: Nils Bultmann, Hank Dutt, Stephen Kent, Parry Karp
• Check It Out & Buy It Here
Nils Bultmann wears a lot of hats: violist, improviser, composer, collaborator. But Bultmann’s innova Recordings debut, Troubadour Blue, reveals that he’s been hard at work stitching all those hats together into one big enough to encompass all of his diverse interests. Falling into a luminous space
between through-composition and improvisation, the music here proudly shows its roots in process.“Ten Viola Duets” evolved organically over years, built from bits and pieces of solo improvisations and drawn out from sketches into complete works. Working with Kronos Quartet violist Hank Dutt helped Bultmann solidify and complete the collection of pieces.
Elsewhere, Bultmann explores the timbral relationship between the viola and the didjeridu in “From the Depths,” a multi-movement work honed from improvisational duets. For “Lucid,” Bultmann blends improvised material into a more structured piece in a work that he would frequently use to open up concerts as a way of arriving at the instruments and connecting with the audience. The album closes with “Suite for Solo Cello,” performed by Parry Karp and based on Bach’s “Cello Suite #1 in G Major,” a work that Bultmann calls a “foundational pillar of [his] musical life.”
Throughout, the pieces on Troubadour Blue share a peripatetic spirit, a desire to wander and explore, to be happy in the journey but also sure of a destination. By working with others, Bultmann expands his sense of his own work and in turn brings forth music that is open, warm-hearted and generous.
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