Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven, page 25

New Blues | Committee of Vultures: Everybody Wants The Blues (Jersey Delta Records / 25 February 2022)

New Blues
Committee of Vultures: Everybody Wants The Blues
(Jersey Delta Records / 25 February 2022)

Get It From Their Website

Soulful, melodic storytelling with fiery vocals - that's the flavour of Everybody Wants The Blues. The unique blues of the Jersey Delta gets a turn in the spotlight on this new release from (not surprisingly) Jersey Delta Records. 

The Jersey Delta is a relatively isolated area of New Jersey, ranging roughly from the Northern Highlands to the Eastern coast, the Western Salamander bogs to the Southern “Sinkhole District”. It's far from the glamour of nearby NYC, and was has been called the Deadwood of the East. Until 1957, there was no recognized outside authority when it came to minor issues like booze, guns, tobacco, mandatory education and the like.

It bred a tough kind of blues sound, one with firmly blue collar roots. A range of musicians from Jersey and New York add their talents, so that each track offers something a little different.

Lightning Struck The Fairgrounds is a standout track with powerhouse vocals. Likewise, Dressed To Get Naked spotlights the vocals in a swingy arrangement with a vintage feel and brassy accents. Our Lady of Angles has a rootsy swing with harmonica and slide guitar. 

It's a fascinating and often quirky bucketful of blues steeped in the unique history of the area. 

Jersey Delta Records

Jersey Delta Records is an independently owned and operated record label based in New Jersey’s historic/mythical Delta Region. Management and staff are direct descendants of the area’s unique local population whose musical and cultural roots can be traced well beyond the commencement of official record keeping, which was not formally established in many parts of this disenfranchised region until the late 1930s.

During the “Great Migration” in the early part of the 20th century thousands of residents from the Delta’s southernmost reaches left their homes and settled in the region’s northern urban centres. This confluence of musical traditions resulted in the creation of a more modern and eclectic musical hybrid which produced legendary performers whose careers and accomplishments are documented at jerseydeltarecords.com.

Tracklist: Side 1: Lightning Struck The Fairgrounds, Everybody Wants The Blues, JENEROSTY, Criminal Music, Dressed To Get Naked, Across The Thorny Country  Side 2: Crossroads Dancing, Terrible Driver, Our Lady Of Angles, Book Of Kings, Vainglory, Expert On Grease

Significant contributors include: Benny Harrison (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Robert Van Kull (songwriter, vocals, guitar, harmonica), Rob Paparozzi (harmonica, vocals), Ada Dyer (vocals), Kevin Hadley (guitar), Dave Halpern (drums), Jack Daley (bass), P.K. Layvengood) (guitar), Al Chez (horns), Jimmy Ryan (pedal steel), Kenny Aaronson (bass), Tim Carbone (fiddle), Steve DeAcutis (guitar), Glen Burtnik (bass, vocals), Patti Maloney (vocals),  Robert Mills (guitar, vocals), Lisa Lowell (vocals), Sheryl Marshall (vocals), Joe Bellia (drums)Charlie Torres (bass), Brandon Morrison (bass), Lee Falco (drums)

Stay in touch:

Official Website:http://jerseydeltarecords.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/committeeofvultures/Twitter: https://twitter.com/commofvulturesInstagram:  jerseydeltarecords

The Art Gallery of Ontario Online Connections Winter 2022

From a media release

The Art Gallery of Ontario
Online Connections Winter 2022

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) may be closed at the moment because of the pandemic's latest variant, but they are continuing a number of popular programs online, including educational series for kids and much more.

For more details, visit ago.ca/events and ago.ca/learn.

Here's a look at some of the highlights.

Foodways: Caribbean Flavours

Hosted by AGO’s Executive Chef Renée Bellefeuille, Foodways is a new conversation series that brings together chefs to explore the intersection of culinary practices, memory and art. This January the AGO is excited to present Foodways: Caribbean Flavours, a three-part talk series bringing together three chefs with ties to the Caribbean and its Diaspora to reflect on their own foodways, inspired by the AGO exhibition Fragments of Epic Memory. Participating chefs are Roger Mooking, La-toya Fagon and Selwyn Richards.

On January 21, join Chef La-toya Fagon at 4 p.m. on Facebook Live for part two of Foodways: Caribbean Flavours, as she talks about growing up eating island foods and her creative blending of traditional Caribbean cooking styles with Mediterranean flavours. Fagon was the first food expert on The Marilyn Denis Show in Toronto and is a personal chef to the Toronto Raptors. 

For more details, check the link. 

On January 28, join Chef Selwyn Richards at 4 p.m. on Facebook Live for part three of Foodways: Caribbean Flavours, as he discusses his love for soul food from the Caribbean and his experience as a food stylist. Richards is the President and Executive Chef of The Art of Catering, former owner of an upscale Caribbean restaurant and is the author of the book The Art of Cooking – Soul of the Caribbean. 

For more details, check the link.

AGO x RBC Artist-in-Residence

Following a nationwide call for proposals, the AGO is pleased to announce, thanks to the generous support of RBC, its three AGO x RBC Artists-in-Residence for 2022. Each selected artist or duo will engage in a three-month virtual residency and will present details of their project publicly upon completion. Responding to the theme of Friendship Near and Far, the AGO welcomes Eric Chengyang & Mariam Magsi, Ivetta Sunyoung Kang and Shion Skye Carter. 

For more details, including bios of the artists, check the link.

Talks

Committed to leading global conversations from Toronto, the AGO welcomes distinguished and emerging artists, curators and authors this winter. Upcoming talks include: 

On Wednesday, January 19 at 1 p.m., join speaker Maurice Switzer for a discussion on how Treaties have impacted the lives of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. This free talk is presented via AGO’s Facebook Live. 

For more details, visit https://ago.ca/events/we-are-all-treaty-people-maurice-switzer. 

On Tuesday, March 1 at 4 p.m., poet and critic John Yau discusses the paintings and writing of Chinese-Canadian artist Matthew Wong, in conjunction with the ongoing exhibition Matthew Wong: Blue View. 

To register for this free Zoom talk, visit ago.ca/events/matthew-wong-john-yau.

Art in the Spotlight, the AGO’s free series of conversations with emerging and established artists continues this winter.  

On January 27 at 4 p.m., Toronto-based filmmaker Esery Mondesir discusses his new exhibition and ongoing exploration of the Haitian global diaspora. This program is held in conjunction with the exhibition Esery Mondesir: We Have Found Each Other. 

To register to this free Zoom talk, visit ago.ca/events/art-spotlight-esery-mondesir.

Close Looking, a bi-weekly series of art talks highlighting works from the AGO collection, continues this winter with a focus on new acquisitions and current events. Talks are posted bi-weekly on the AGO Facebook page.

On Monday, January 24, Erin Rutherford, AGO’s Collection Development Librarian, will take a closer look at Toronto-based artist Annie S. MacDonald’s bookbinding techniques.

Pop-up Studio in Mandarin

Inspired by the ongoing exhibition Matthew Wong: Blue View, the AGO invites artists of all ages to join a weekly series of free artmaking sessions focused on the colour blue. Participants will be guided in a drawing and colouring exercise led in Mandarin by artist instructor, Jenny Chen. Sessions are free via Zoom every Wednesday at 7 p.m. from January 12 to February 2, 2022. 

For more details and to register, visit the link

Pop Single | Anya Mia: Love Is An Illusion

Pop Single
Anya Mia: Love Is An Illusion

I'm starting the new year with new music — my own, as it happens. My new single is called Love Is An Illusion. You can stream or buy it at Bandcamp by clicking on the image.

Along with writing the music and words, I play keyboards (which I took up in April 2020 as a COVID project), and sing, with Geoff Burns on the bass, and Nick Bison on drums/percussion. (They also play together in Brutus Begins).

The song was recorded at Boxcar Sound Recording in Hamilton, Ontario, with the help of Matt Montour (engineer, mixing, mastering).

What's the inspiration? Honestly, I just liked the sound of the words. :) And honestly, it's happened to everyone, I think.

Stream it on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon or other our other favourite service at the link.

Or, check out the lyric video I made below. Enjoy reliving your disastrous, and hopefully short-lived, relationships.

Next Stage Theatre Festival Toronto: January 19 to 30 2022

From a media release:

Next Stage Theatre Festival
January 19 to 30, 2022

Returning. Transforming.
The next stage of Next Stage.

Visit Box Office

TORONTO - The box office is now open for exciting and expansive programming as part of the 2022 Next Stage Theatre Festival, taking place January 19 – 30, 2022 at the Ada Slaight Hall at Daniels Spectrum in Toronto. This will be the first time we have been able to present in-person events since January 2020.

We welcome you, our curious audiences, back to Next Stage for fun, satirical and challenging shows with themes around identity, aging and desire. In our new venue, Ada Slaight Hall, we are sharing six live productions, plus we have two digital on-demand shows and two digital real-time interactive shows to access online wherever you are.

Next Stage Theatre Festival tickets and passes are on sale now. Single tickets are $15 for the Digital Series, and $20 for the Theatre Series, with Passes starting at $50.

The 2022 Next Stage Theatre Festival:

Bremen Town
Written by Gregory Prest
From the Bremen Town Collective 
Theatre Series at Ada Slaight Hall 

Bremen Town is a rural folk tragicomedy about what happens when we outlive our use starring award-winning actors Nancy Palk, Oliver Dennis, William Webster, and Deborah Grover. 

Nancy Palk in Brementown

The Complex
Created by Chantal Forde, Jessie Fraser, Mandy Roveda
From It's Not a Pivot Productions
Digital Series

The Complex is an interactive, immersive digital theatre experience where participants must collaborate to choose a worthy new leader in order to save the planet and humanity.  

Heart of a Dog
Written by Mohammad Yaghoubi
From Nowadays Theatre Company
Theatre Series at Ada Slaight Hall

Heart of a Dog is a comical adaptation by Mohammad Yaghoubi, based on a novel of the same name by the classic Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov. 

Heart of a Dog

Saving Wonderland
Created by Attilio Rigotti, Kevin Hammonds, David Andrew Laws, Jacob Thompson, Sarah Reynolds, Caroline Prugh
From Gamiotics Studios
Digital Series

Plunge back down the rabbit hole where the familiar turns peculiar in a race to find missing gears, restore Wonderland, and save the day in this innovative, interactive new adventure.

She's Not Special
Created By Fatuma Adar
Company: HomeMadeIt Productions
Theatre Series at Ada Slaight Hall

As a Black Muslim Woman (a triple threat!), creator Fatuma Adar is on a mission to free you from the clutches of exceptionalism and teach you how to relish in the joys of mediocrity.

Stand Up Comedy Night
Created by Nick Reynoldson, Dena Jackson, Adrienne Fish, Monty Scott, Todd Graham and Efthimios Nasiopoulos
From Comedy Records 
Theatre Series at Ada Slaight Hall

Stories of a Dish
Created by Himanshu Sitlani
From Nautanki Bazaar
Digital Series 

A global pandemic may have struck, but we have a person who’s just stuck! Will he find the secret recipe to happiness? A culinary theatrical journey awaits.  

Tango in the Dark

The Sunglasses Monologue
Created by Vivian Chong
Digital Series

Through storytelling, comedy, and original songs, Vivian Chong shares her journey coming out from a coma, and losing her sight which ultimately led to the reinvention of herself as an artist. 

Tango in the Dark
Directed by Alexander Richardson
From PointeTango
Theatre Series at Ada Slaight Hall

A dance show performed by Alexander Richardson and Erin Scott-Kafadar blending Argentine tango with classical ballet featuring live music by Payadora Tango Ensemble. 

Ursa: A Folk Musical
Created by Jake Schindler and Sam Boer
From Ursa Productions
Theatre Series at Ada Slaight Hall

Ursa: A Folk Musical is a whimsical theatre-concert about the star-crossed friendship between an anxious bear and a restless teenager.

Swedish Folk Pop: Kolonien - Farfars Jord

From a media release:

Swedish Folk Pop:
Kolonien - Farfars Jord
Cumbancha / December 9, 2021)

Buy/Stream It On Bandcamp

Kolonien's "Farfars Jord" (Grandfather's Land) is a beautiful and haunting song, perfect for the holiday season and introspective winter weather. This is the third single from the Swedish quartet's upcoming album Till Skogen to be released by Cumbancha in late Spring 2022. 

With moving lyrics and a powerful message, Kolonien's ethereal Scandinavian folk pop will enchant and transport you. 

According to the band, "This song is dedicated to our grandfather Hans Möller, who passed away from Covid-19 in 2020. It speaks about how his generation built this place, in all its wonders and all its fallacies. Words derived from a conversation between Hans and ourselves, the young and the old. Perhaps also echoing the conversations between earth and man, as it appears in the search for a sustainable future."

Jazz Fusion | Don Macdonald: Shifting Sands

Jazz Fusion
Don Macdonald: Shifting Sands
(Independent / Jan 7, 2022)

Stream/Buy on Bandcamp

Shifting Sands, a new album by veteran composer/performer Don Macdonald will have its international release on January 7, 2022.

It's rare to centre fiddle and mandolin on a jazz album, and it results in a uniquely bright sounding groove. The strings are bolstered by guitar, piano, acoustic bass and drums, and the songs blend jazz harmonies and rhythms with bluegrass idioms and Ghanaian-inspired sounds. 

The result is music with a truly unique flavour that should please both jazz lovers and a broader audience of music lovers with an innovative ear. 

The ensemble features Macdonald, an internationally recognized composer of film and concert music (he’s also been playing improvised music for over 35 years on violin and saxophone), along with an all-star cast of Canadian musicians – Dave Restivo (3-time winner of the National Jazz Awards’ Pianist of the Year Award), Mike Rud (Juno Award Winner), and Rob Fahie (former band leader and bassist for Nikki Yanovsky). Joining the group is Boston based Jason Anick, “A rising star in the world of jazz violin and mandolin” (Downbeat Magazine). It also features Steven Parish(drums), Jill McKenna (upright bass), and Dylan Ferris (mandolin). 

Personnel:
Don Macdonald/Violin; Dave Restivo/Piano; Mike Rud/Guitar; Steven Parish/Drums; Jason Anick and Dylan Ferris; Rob Fahie and Jill Mckenna/Bass

Track Listing
1. Shifting Sands; 2. Dali's ; 3. Bayou; 4. Dreams of Ozymandias; 5. La Tormenta; 6. Derecho; 7. Bembe; 8. Atacama; 9. Homecoming

Hubert Phipps: Ascending - In The Miami Design District Until January 31 2022

Hubert Phipps: Ascending

The new art exhibition on view December 1 through January 31 in the Miami Design District  

The Artist Hubert Phipps and the Supercar Designer ARES Modena Collaborate During Art Basel Miami to Launch New Exhibition, and to Debut the First ARES Modena Showroom in North America in the Miami Design District.

Sky Temple, the sculpture by Hubert Phipps (cast stainless steel)Revving up the Art World Like Never Before

The nationally acclaimed artist Hubert Phipps and the luxury Italian coachbuilder ARES Modena will launch a new exhibition during Art Basel Miami to debut the first ARES Modena showroom in North America, in the Miami Design District. 

The exhibition Hubert Phipps: Ascending will be on view December 1 through January 31, and will usher in the arrival of the ARES S1 supercar model for its North American premiere during the run of the exhibition.

The new ARES S1 supercar model makes its North American premiere alongside this new art exhibition by the American artist Hubert Phipps

“We chose these bold sculptures and artworks by Hubert Phipps to debut our first U.S. showroom, and to surround the ARES S1 supercar model for its North American premiere, because when experienced together they create a powerful fusion that supercharges the imagination,” said Mo Elarishy, of ARES Miami.

“The tradition of coachbuilding is a form of artmaking going back 100 years, hand-crafting limited production vehicles for discerning customers,” adds Elarishy. “The art of Hubert Phipps personifies the creative vision of ARES Modena’s coachbuilt vehicles, celebrated worldwide like commissioned works of art.” 

Impulse, by Hubert Phipps (paint pigment on paper) 

A sculptor and painter, Phipps was also a national racecar champion and is a pilot, coming up on his 50th anniversary as an aviator. The exhibition Hubert Phipps: Ascending features several works born out of the artist’s love for acceleration and for aerodynamic forms (he often pilots his Airbus Helicopter H-120 down to Florida from his artist studio in Virginia)

“I am honored to have been invited by ARES Miami to present this collaboration during Art Basel Miami,” said Hubert Phipps. “ARES is one of the world’s leading studios of high-performance design and stellar engineering is igniting new inspirations in my artmaking.”

Voyager, the sculpture by Hubert Phipps (stainless steel)

The title of this show reflects the growing national recognition of the artist (as museums and collectors across the country acquire his works), with Phipps’ history with racecars and aircraft. In addition to the launch of the exhibition during the week of Art Basel, the artist and ARES Miami are planning events in January with some of Phipps’ world renowned racing colleagues from his time as a professional racecar driver. 

The new ARES S1 supercar model was flown from Italy to Miami, and has never been shown in North America. The one-of-a-kind, automotive work of art will be the centrepiece for this exhibition, surrounded by sculptures and artworks by Phipps that are seen as a perfect fit with the creative aesthetic behind ARES Modena’s singular success in automotive design.

The artist Hubert Phipps (photo by Frankie Damba)

Only 24 versions of the ARES S1 supercar will be created in the entire world, each tailor-made to the client’s desires and taste, making each design unique. The ARES S1's dramatic low-profile is similar to racing prototypes from the 70s and 80s.

Hand-crafted in carbon fibre, the curvaceous wheel arches, with sculptured side skirts and forward sitting cockpit, give a sleek yet aggressive stance.

The S1 is powered by a naturally aspirated V8, delivering power to the wheels via an 8-speed dual clutch transmission. The interior combines the finest Alcantara and Napa leather that is quilted in specific areas. 

Arch, the sculpture by Hubert Phipps (stainless steel)

The sculptures and artworks by Phipps in this exhibition rev up the space in the ARES Miami showroom, apace with the supercar’s electrifying spirit: Sky Temple, Voyager, Arch, Lava Flow, Africa 1, and Africa 2, plus a maquette-sized version of Rocket from the private collection of real estate magnate Lawrence Moens.

The exhibition also features Phipps’ signature paint pigment drawings: Momentum, Current, Impulse, and Rhythm.  

The artist Hubert Phipps

About The Artist

Hubert G. Phipps (born November 1, 1957) is an American sculptor and painter who divides his time between Middleburg, Virginia and New York City. Phipps draws on his auto racing and aviation experiences to develop a distinctive style. 

Known for his paint pigment drawings and abstract sculptures, Phipps experiments with various forms and materials, including steel, bronze, wood, composites, plaster, glass, and marble. He was also a race car driver and is a member of the Phipps family.

Harbourfront Centre Toronto Announces Evocative 2022 Winter Season

From a media release:

Harbourfront Centre Returns to the International Stage
with Evocative 2022 Winter Season

Renowned for its world-class festival line-up, Harbourfront Centre kicks off return to in-person programming with diverse, multidisciplinary offerings

Check Out The Details

TORONTO, ON – Harbourfront Centre is thrilled to unveil its electrifying 2022 winter season, bringing live performance and in-person arts and culture programming back to Toronto’s downtown waterfront beginning in January 2022. The festival lineup showcases a dynamic array of international and national programming including dance, theatre and music performances, talks and workshops, and public art installations from some of the world’s most illuminating artists and thought leaders. 

Harbourfront Festival of Cool - Pressure by Hans E Madsen - photo by Stig Nygaard

“January 2022 will be a special time as we reopen our performance venues and welcome back our audiences to Toronto’s downtown waterfront,” says Marah Braye, Chief Executive Officer. “We are very excited to launch new festivals bringing diverse artists and audiences together to inspire conversations and meaningful creative exchanges. This year, our multidisciplinary winter programming is designed to spark those human connections and expand our hearts and minds.” 

The highly anticipated 2022 winter season features a dazzling array of international festival performances that will once again grace Harbourfront Centre’s intimate venues, including Harbourfront Centre Theatre and Fleck Dance Theatre. Most noteworthy is the launch of our new festival CoMotion, an international Deaf and disability arts festival from April 20 – May 1, 2022. Curated by renowned Canadian playwright, actor and disability arts advocate Alex Bulmer, CoMotion is the largest festival of its kind in Canada. 

Signmark - photo courtesy of the artist

Additional season highlights include the return of audience favourites: Festival of Cool, which brings the globe’s Northern cultures to Toronto’s waterfront from January 19 – February 13, 2022; Toronto’s longest-running Black Futures Month festival, Kuumba, from February 1–28, 2022; Toronto’s premier contemporary dance series, Torque, from February 4 – May 23, 2022; and Toronto’s beloved international children’s festival, JUNIOR, from May 21–23, 2022. 

Also new to this year’s festival programming is Nordic Bridges, a year-long initiative connecting the Nordic Region with Canada, from coast to coast to coast, through collaborations with artists, innovators and thinkers. The Canada-wide initiative will showcase contemporary Nordic arts and culture across various disciplines and at Harbourfront Centre, through Nordic Spotlight presentations woven throughout the season. 

PWYC Policy 

To ensure Harbourfront Centre’s rich and diverse programming is accessible to all, Harbourfront Centre is introducing a Pay What You Wish pricing model for 2022. Ticket buyers will be encouraged to select the ticket price they wish to pay for a particular performance or event with a suggested ticket price as a guideline. Those who choose to select a higher ticket price than the recommended price will be directly supporting the artistic programming and Harbourfront Centre’s commitment to accessibility. 

“We are incredibly proud of this long-awaited season, and premiering new international programming that promises to challenge, delight and inspire our audiences,” says Iris Nemani, Chief Programming Officer. “By introducing our new Pay What You Wish ticket pricing, we are ensuring that our programs are financially accessible for everyone. It’s our way of acknowledging that this has been a challenging time for all and to welcome everyone back to live, innovative programming.” 

Tickets for the 2022 festival lineup are now on sale at harbourfrontcentre.com  Harbourfront Season at Large-Courtesy of the Artist Daniel Iregui

Season highlights include:

Festival of Cool, which brings the globe's Northern cultures to Toronto's waterfront, January 19 – February 13, 2022 

Nordic Lights art installationDJ Skate Nights are back!+ more

Kuumba, Toronto's longest-running Black Futures Month festival, February 1-28, 2022

A Black Girl In Love (With Herself): Let your breakdown be your breakthrough (Canada) by Trey Anthony Kuumba Comedy Night with Trixx & FriendsKevin A. Ormsby and Esie Mensah - double bill of dance

Torque, Toronto's premier contemporary dance series, February 4 – May 23, 2022 

Story, story, die. (Norway) - winter guests | Alan Lucien Øyen Chapter 3: Brutal Journey of the Heart (Israel) - L-E-V | Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar Only You (Canada) - Anne Plamondon Productions Sky Dancers (Kahnawake, Québec) - A’nó:wara Dance Theatre | Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo 

Harbourfront Torque Chapter 3 - Photo by Stefan Dotter for Dior

CoMOTION Festival, celebrating new ideas and expressions by Deaf and disabled artists in a multidisciplinary program, including visual arts, music, performances, digital art, workshops and panel discussions. April 20 – May 1, 2022 

Junior, Toronto's beloved international children's festival, May 21-23, 2022

Spoiiiiiiiiing (Denmark) - Kitt Johnson X-act A Story of a House That Turned Into a Dot (Denmark) - Teatret Gruppe 38 Those Who Run in the Sky (Greenland) - The National Theatre of Greenland (Nunatta Isiginnaartitsisarfia) 

Finnish Deaf Rapper Signmark, who'll be part of the CoMOTION Festival:

Harbin Ice Festival 2022 | Opening Ceremony January 5

Harbin Ice Festival 2022
Opening Ceremony January 5, 2022

Check It Out

The 2022 Harbin Ice Festival - officially called the 38th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival officially opens with a ceremony on January 5, 2022. 

Harbin Ice-Snow World in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province (Image courtesy of Xinhua Silk Road)

More than 400 activities and events will be held in Harbin city for celebrating the 38th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in 2022. The activities and events are based on ice and snow tourism, ice and snow culture, ice and snow fashion culture, ice and snow trade, and ice and snow sports.

The theme parks and main events of the festival will include the 23rd Harbin Ice and Snow World, the 34th Harbin Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, the 59th Ice Lantern Fair at Zhaolin Park, the 2nd Ice Lantern Show at Rongchuang Amusement Park, the 4th Harbin Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival,  the 3rd Ice Collecting Festival on the frozen Songhua River, and the 19th Yabuli Skiing Festival in Yabuli Town. 

Harbin China by Marc Mooney of Pixabay
Harbin, The Ice City

Harbin, also dubbed the ice city, has been harnessing its unique "freezing" resources for development and witnessed thriving growth of the ice and snow economy. Statistics showed that during the recent three-day New Year holiday, the city's 11 major tourist attractions received 530,000 tourist arrivals. 

Harbin is at the same latitude as Montreal, and winter temperatures typically fall between -10 and -30 °C. Temperatures are expected in the -15℃ to -25℃ range during the period of the 38th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (December 20 to the end of February). 

Heilongjiang Province boasts a snow season as long as half a year. Thanks to its exceptional climate conditions, Harbin hosts many internationally acclaimed ice and snow events such as the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival and the Harbin Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Exposition. It also houses leading winter resorts like Yabuli Skiing Town, China Snow Town and Beiji (North Pole) Village. The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival has emerged as one of the four global major ice and snow events. And the Harbin Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Exposition is the largest and most widely participated ice sculpture expo in China.

Siberian Tiger in Harbin, China (Photo by Thomas Johanna on Pixabay)
What to See and Do during the 38th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival?

Harbin Ice and Snow World: A must-see attraction in winter in Harbin. It is the most important theme park of the ice festival. This wonderland where large ice buildings and statues constructed with lights inside that make them glow Harbin. In the park, visitor can watch performances, films...and do a lot of interesting ice and snow activities, such as snowtubing, snowsliding, snowbiking...

Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo: This annual expo features massive and beautifully carved sculptures of snow. 

Zhaolin Park:  Harbin's Ice Lantern Festival was firstly held in Zhaolin park downtown in 1963. 

Rongchuang Amusement Park: A theme park features amusement activities, ice lantern show,  and skiing. 

Saint Sophia Church: Built in 1903,this Orthodox church is a wonderful example of Russian Architecture.

Saint Sofia church in Harbin, China (Photo by Holyeagle on Pixabay)

Siberian Tiger Park: The park has several large caged areas where the tigers and lions roam freely and live as they would in their natural environment. 

Harbin Polarland: This famous aquarium housing penguins, whales, polar bears, seals, dolphins, and wolves and foxes. Seal and whales performances are organized every day.

Russian Architecture: The city is renowned for its unique, Russian-influenced architecture, remnants from the days when Harbin was a crucial stop on the Russian Manchurian Railroad, the dome-shaped structures are nostalgic throwbacks to pre-revolutionary Russia.

Volga Manor: A Russian culture theme garden, complete and full of exotic manor with beautiful scenery, with large gardens, Russian style buildings, churches, museums, and tidal flat wetland.

Jewish Sites: Harbin have many historic Jewish buildings and sites including hospital, bank, church, cemetery, business Hong, synagogue, kitchen, school, and assembly hall, among others.

Central Street: Pedestrian only street, a perfect remnant of the bustling international business activities at the turn of the 20th century. The 1.4-km long street is a veritable museum of European architectural styles, including Baroque and Byzantine facades, Jewish architectural wonders, little Russian bakeries, French fashion houses, American snack food outlets, and Japanese restaurants.

Ice sculpture in Harbin, China

Stalin Park: It is a Soviet-era landscaped park on the bank of the Songhua River with statues and the famous icon building  - Harbin Flood Control Monument (Harbin People Flood Control Success Memorial Tower).

Heilongjiang Provincial Museum: It is a research center for scholars and a popular place to enjoy the exhibits and to learn about history in Harbin.

Gogol Street: Harbin's second biggest shopping district dotted with Russian buildings.

Chinese Baroque Street (aka Lao Daowai): The street is known for its high historic value and integrated architectural style of Baroque façades and Chinese quads (Siheyuan). It is the largest existing area of Baroque buildings in China.

731 Japanese Germ Warfare Experimental Base: The world's largest germ warfare experimental base, which was built by Japanese troops in China during World War II, now opened as a historical reminder of the dark history of the Japanese aggression towards the Chinese.

A grocery market with a difference: An outdoor market that operates at -20 degrees Celsius. Fruit and vegetables are sold in glass cabinets and padded tents, while boxes of popsicles are laid out on the ground. 

Enjoy Skiing at the Ski Resorts: For skiers, many ski resorts can be chosen during the ice festival in Harbin and its nearby areas, such as Yabuli Xintiwei Ski Resort (Yabuli New Physical Culture and Sports Commission Ski Resort), Yabuli Sunshine Holiday Village Ski Resort, among many others.

A look at the 2021 festival:

Music for Water | Ros Bandt: Medusa

Music for Water
Ros Bandt: Medusa Dreaming
(Neuma Records / August 20, 2021)

Stream it Buy it on Bandcamp

“The space is the thing,” Ros Bandt says in a media release. “It’s the key player. Medusa Dreaming is a site-specific water symphony in honor of one of the most beautiful water tanks in the world: heraldic, grand, mythic, epic, scintillating. Each of the eleven movements show an aspect of its personality and history.” 

The recording comes from a 2010 event that took place in the renowned Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) beneath Istanbul, Turkey. It forms part of Bandt's lifelong exploration of what might be called sonic archaeology. It continues her journey in creating music that works with the resonance of sacred locations around the world.

Medusa Dreaming celebrates ancient cultures and their understanding of water care. An upside down statue of Medusa supports one of the columns in the cistern. Bandt was also inspired by the 60,000-year-old Australian Aboriginal concept of dreaming, a creative state. The Ancestral Spirits created earth, water, and all of life through dreaming.

According to the notes:

More than a concert of underground music, the composition is a ceremony that merges spatialized electroacoustic sounds, musical notations, and sound design instructions for a skilled improvising ensemble. Some of the pre-recorded sounds include glass tears from the “flagong” glass sound sculpture, Aeolian harps recorded in Lake Mungo (the site of the earliest continuing culture on earth), an ultrasound recording of a Rimu tree growing in New Zealand, and a live hydrophone audiostream of the carp feeding in the waters below the audience during the performance.

The effect is both atmospheric and emotional, a meditation on water that incorporates its moods from the shimmering of droplets to a hard rain. The music draws on various sources, including Middle Eastern/Turkish melodies and rhythms. Instrumental passages blend with spoken word and vocalism, and the sounds of water in many forms.

The music is haunting, and is meant to be absorbed.

The Tears of Yerebatan Palace (feat. Erdem Helvacioglu, Natalia Mann & Izzet Kizil)