Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven, page 60

Holidays In The City: Seasonal Offerings at the Omni King Edward Hotel, Toronto Starting November 16, 2018

Holidays In The City
Seasonal Offerings at the Omni King Edward Hotel, Toronto
Starting November 16, 2018· Find Out More
Toronto's Omni King Edward Hotel has been welcoming dignitaries, tourists, travelers, and the citizens of Toronto for more than a century. As the weather gets more and more frightful towards the end of the year, the ornate historic hotel has some holiday specials to help stoke the holiday mood.
Omni King Edward Hotel, entranceNutcracker Afternoon Tea At Victoria's Restaurant

· Beginning November 16 and available until December 30, Victoria’s restaurant will serve their traditional Nutcracker Tea, inspired by the famous holiday ballet. Cozy up this winter with tea, sweet cheeses, finger sandwiches, pastries and scones.Ffinalized menu offerings to be confirmed soon. $54 per person, Wednesday – Sunday, 1:30-5:00pm
Omni King Edward Hotel, Victoria's RestaurantTree Lighting Activation

· On November 21, kick off the holiday season with a tree lighting ceremony on property around 6pm. Festivities include a hot chocolate stand in the lobby, snacks and festive decorations.
Tea-time delightsAdult Hot Chocolate At The Consort Bar

· Starting November 21, limited-time adult hot chocolate options will be available at The Consort Bar. You'll find a selection of Adult Hot Chocolate delights, powdered brewed in hot milk. Ask about lactose-free options.
Omni King Edward Hotel, Consort BarVIVA MEXI-HO HO HO
Tromba Tequila, Fee Brother's Aztec Chocolate Bitters, Leche de Cabra, whipped cream, spicy 'snowflakes', fire roasted jalapeno garnish $15

IRISH COCOA
Bailey's Irish Cream, Housemade orange cinnamon bitters, whipped cream, chocolate candy cande rim, S'More garnish $15
Gastropub FareDECK THE HALLS
Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum, eggnog whipped cream, candy cane nutmet & toasted marshmallow garnish $15

THE NUTCRACKER
Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Hennessy V.S.O.P., Hazelnut Bitter Spritz, whipped cream, toasted pecan sprinkle, snowman garnish $18

A look at the hotel:

#VisitHaiti Jacmel Is Haiti's Artistic Heart - the Caribbean's Last Undiscovered Jewel

#VisitHaiti
Jacmel Is Haiti's Artistic Heart
the Caribbean's Last Undiscovered Jewel
• Find Out More About Travel To Haiti

Tourists are beginning to rediscover Haiti, the lush tropical nation with a storied history and much to offer.
Jacmel, Haiti by PortauprincienJacmel combines a vibrant artistic vibe with the gorgeous tropical weather and lush landscape of the Caribbean, and architecture that is a feast for the eyes.

The old port city of Jacmel is located in the south coast of Haiti, spread around a 3km long bay. You'll enjoy local cuisine, including plenty of seafood, a thriving local arts scene, and a centuries old town centre that has been declared a UNESCO protected historic site.
Les Bassins-Bleu by LOTUS ArtJust outside the city, you'll find the blue pools they call Bassins-Bleu, fed by the cool waters of the waterfalls to the west. There are a few beaches to choose from, including the Raymond Les Bains, one of the most popular to the east of town.

The work of Haitian artists lines the walls of the Salubria Gallery, located in a gracious old house in the downtown area. There ar eother galleries to explore, including the Jacmel Arts Center or  Sant D'A Jakmel.



Stay in comfort a the Chic Chateau 
From their website, Stay for a night or a week. Rent an eco-luxe room or the entire villa. Every day starts with farm to table breakfast, and ends with you feeling connected to the sweetest side of tropical living.
More info at www.Chichateau.netVideo created by Walter Mirkss

Pop Single: Jude Scofield - Don't Let Me Die Alone (Independent / 12 October 2018)

Pop Single:
Jude Scofield - Don't Let Me Die Alone
(Independent / 12 October 2018)
• Stream it on Spotify

Don't Let Me Die Alone is the debut single from up and coming singer songwriter Jude Scofield. Jude's got the kind of rich, effortless sounding voice that would have seen him crooning ballads in any previous era. Here, he writes a bittersweet love song with shades of RnB and classic, really ageless pop sensibilities.
Jude ScofieldA native of Melbourne, Australia, Jude's been playing music since his father bought him a guitar for his sixth birthday. He formed his first band in grade 8, and performed at school concerts and open mics in the area. He later taught himself to play piano, and got experience recording and mixing sound.

It was a case of tragic heartbreak about a year ago that led him to write this, his first song on the piano. It spurred a string of new songs. With all the instruments performed, mixed, and produced by Jude, he's working on his first full-length release.

Look for it coming up in 2019.

Stay in touch:
https://twitter.com/heyjudescofield
https://www.instagram.com/heyjudescofield/
https://www.facebook.com/heyjudescofield
https://www.judescofield.com/

Pop Single: Leon Seti - Silver Lining (Independent / 3 September 2018)

Pop Single:
Leon Seti - Silver Lining
(Independent / 3 September 2018)
• Stream it on Spotify
• Buy it on Bandcamp

Silver Lining is the latest single from Leon Seti, with a new video that adds enigmatic visuals to the electro-pop sound.

Electro-pop confection Leon Seti is a solo project born from the fruitful mind of Leo Baldi, who writes, arranges, and produces all his own material. Silver Linings is the first single to come out as a teaser for his second album, titled Cobalt.

Silver Lining highlights his fluid and expressive vocals that go from a sultry whisper to a full throated and nimble high end. The song is melodic, with an interesting off beat rhythm that adds to its appeal. It ventures into whimsical territory for a track with some interesting surprises.

Based in London and Italy, Leon's previous releases include an EP, Talking Shadows and an album titled Genuflection, establishing his trademark musing about death, lust, and depression with an idiosyncratic style and atmospheric vocals.

Look for Cobalt coming up next year.

Stay in touch:
https://www.facebook.com/leonseti/
https://www.instagram.com/leonseti/

Cumbia/Chicha/Son Recently Released: DDLO - Suenos de Luna y Mar (Independent / August 15, 2018)

Recently Released:
DDLO - Suenos de Luna y Mar
(Independent / August 15, 2018)
• Buy the EP
• Stream it on Spotify

Suenos de Luna y Mar brings you a fun and upbeat indie EP with the distinctive flavours of Latin jazz, just in time for cooler weather up north. The release is marked by a playful sensibility and wicked chops.

The EP features four tracks. The irresistible beats of cumbia and chicha swirl in a fanciful melody in El Mundo Fosforescente, with unusual chord changes, growling guitars, and spoken word vocals that add an eery edge.  El Día que Llegó el Payaso (The Day The Clown Cried) will have you dancing. Named after the Spanish title of an old Jerry Lewis movie, the track includes a mournful trumpet line over a relentless rhythm.

The spooky vibe returns in El Pulpo y la Luna - which means either The Octopus And The Moon, or the Guy Who Gives People Hickies And The Moon (thanks Urban Dictionary!) - with an off kilter vibe and a classic cumbia organ riff with that distinctive rhythm and a wailing guitar line. A clarinet adds an edgy high end as the track builds to a crescendo of invention. Nostalgia Majestuoso brings it down to acoustic guitar and percussion in a classic Latin vein, with a soulful Andean flute (? - uncredited) and a laid back rhythm.

DDLO is a collective that was the brainchild of I.J. Smith, a jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer who took a long hiatus from recording to raise his daughter. Now that he's back gigging regularly, look for more to come.

If you like your psychadelic cumbia and chicha with a sense of humour and superb musicianship, this is your new playlist.

Track List
1. El Mundo Fosforescente
2. El Día que Llegó el Payaso
3. El Pulpo y la Luna
4. Nostalgia Majestuoso

Personnel:
I.J. Smith: Guitars/Tres/Percussion/Congas; Pablo Conte: Drums/Percussion
Eric Marshall: Upright/Bass; Tony DaQuipa: Congas/Drums; Adrian Gormeley: Sax/Bass Clarinet/Clarinet; Bill Swan: Trumpet.

Stay in touch:
https://www.facebook.com/DDLO-1698105676952632/?modal=admin_todo_tour
https://soundcloud.com/ddlaonda/sets/suenos-de-luna-y-mar
https://soundcloud.com/ddlaonda

Americana/Roots: Highbeams - Keep Meaning It (Blanket Fort/Independent October 1, 2018)

Americana/Roots:
Highbeams - Keep Meaning It
(Blanket Fort/Independent October 1, 2018)
• Listen to the Single Someday on Spotify

Highbeams are three brothers: Adam Pendlington, Ian Pendlington, and Stephen Quinn, and they have this to say about their new release:

Keep Meaning It is about continuing to pursue something even after it becomes challenging. Whether it be a relationship, career, or a dream. Finding who you are and what you want, and remaining steadfast in your pursuit.

The group offers melodic acoustic guitar driven Americana/folk with a sweeping sensibility that is steeped in their Georgia roots. Since forming in 2012, Highbeams has released two full length albums and performed all over the Southeast alongside national acts like Vertical Horizon, Chase Bryant, and Col Bruce Hampton.

The group explores the range of folk to country to rock with a nod to the classic interpretations, but with a thoroughly modern polish, and there's a nice sense of variety within the well worn genre. Vocal harmonies enhance the upbeat mood, with crisp drum lines that build to the chorus of You Can Leave Me - I won't change.

Someday is part pop, part folk, with the bouncy verse of a pop song and the hymn-like chorus of a folk song in three-part harmony. I Know a Place crosses over into country with swirling violins and lyrics about the one that got away. Talking To Myself is pure acoustic folk, with introspective lyrics sung in harmony. Guilty is a standout track, a song that cycles through a range of moods from contemplative to anthemic, with a relentless rhythm underneath the soaring vocals

Highbeams mine familiar territory, giving it their own stamp, with lovely harmonies and polished production values - impressive given it is a home studio recording. If there's one quibble, it's that the vocals are overly processed in some of the tracks. With three-part harmony, it's not necessary.

Track List:
1. You Can Leave Me
2. Someday
3. I Do!
4. Mess We Made
5. Bears
6. I Know a Place
7. Talking to Myself
8. Sunshine
9. Either Way
10. To Measure a Moment
11. Guilty
12. Window ft. Jenny and Sky

Personnel:
Adam Pendlington: Vocals, Guitar, and Bass; Stephen Quinn: Vocals, Bass, and Guitar; Ian Pendlington: Backing Vocals, Cajon, Piano

Stay in touch:
http://www.highbeamsmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/highbeamsmusic/
https://www.instagram.com/highbeamsmusic/
https://twitter.com/highbeamsmusic
https://soundcloud.com/highbeamsmusic

Someday Live

New Single: Scott Chasolen - Limbo (Independent / 13 September 2018)

New Single:
Scott Chasolen - Limbo
(Independent / 13 September 2018)
• Stream it on Spotify

Does anyone understand a perfect love?
And is there even such a thing?

Limbo, the new single by Scott Chasolen, is a heartbreaker of a song. The track begins with spare acoustic guitar, building to a lush middle section and then an emotional end. There's a pulsing rhythm that drives the acoustic guitar accompaniment, with piano adding its brighter colours to a song with a melancholic edge to both the lyrics and the melody. Scott adds a jazzy interlude and a piano solo that combines melodic interest with radio-friendly pop sensibilities. His vocals are fluid, with a rough edge  of expression.

An accomplished pianist, songwriter/composer Northern New Jersey native Scott Chasolen has been playing music since the age of ten. After experimenting with trumpet and percussion, he honed in on the piano by age sixteen, when he was already performing and studying jazz. He graduated from New School University in Manhattan.

The single comes from an as yet unreleased album called Living In Limbo.  The acoustic album covers a highly personal journey through a tragic loss of love. The entire album was recorded in a NYC apartment as his temporary living situation, and he had to write half the material for guitar without access to a piano. Look for a release date sometime in late 2018.

Personnel: Scott Chasolen - lead vocals, backing vocals, guitars, piano Doug Yowell - shaker

Stay in touch:
https://www.facebook.com/scottchasolenmusic
http://www.scottchasolen.com/

There She Goes Again - another single from the upcoming release:

World Animal Protection List of Over 200 Elephant-Friendly Travel Companies

From a media release:

World Animal Protection
Over 200 elephant-friendly travel companies
Travel companies worldwide commit to stop elephant rides and shows
• Support The Companies On The List

A campaign by World Animal Protection to end the cruel abuse of elephants in the tourist entertainment industry has secured the help of over 200 travel companies who have committed to stop selling elephant rides and shows to their customers.

From the organization's announcement: We have been engaging with tour operators around the world, revealing the cruelty that goes on behind the scenes at venues where tourists ride elephants and see shows where elephants are forced to perform.

To date, 214 travel companies around the world have agreed that elephant rides and shows are cruel and must end. The travel companies, include The Travel Corporation and its family of 30 brands (Lion World Travel, Trafalgar, Contiki & Uniworld) as well as TUI Benelux and Thomas Cook Northern Europe have all agreed, in a bid to end the cruel practice. Africa4Us signed the elephant friendly pledge at the Outdoor Adventure Show earlier this year

Josey Kitson, our executive director speaks to this announcement:

"Leading travel brands see the value of animal protection. Companies like G Adventures, The Travel Corporation and World Expeditions and Intrepid Travel, are leading the way to ensure no animals are harmed on their trips.

This year we were thrilled to have Bamba Experience (the first Mexico-based travel company), Exemplary Voyages (the first Sri Lankan tour operator), Roar Africa, Extraordinary Journeys, Do Something Different, Adventure Coordinators, Tusker Adventure Travel, Africa4Us and Zara Tours sign our pledge to never sell elephant rides or shows.”

Despite this large number, there are still travel companies yet to commit to ending elephant rides and other cruel elephant entertainment. In order to make elephants submit to rides and other human interactions they are taken from their mothers as babies and forced through a horrific training practice known as ‘the crush’. This process involves physical restraints, severe pain and the withholding of food and water. By the time tourists come to ride an elephant, its spirit has been broken.

The cruelty does not end after the crush. When not performing or used for rides most elephants are kept chained and isolated from one another. This is hugely damaging to their physical and psychological wellbeing.

"World Animal Protection wants to see this cruelty stop" Kitson adds, "and tourists can help by avoiding animal attractions while on vacation and encouraging more companies to join our movement. Find out more at www.standupforwildlife.ca."

Each year, over 500,000 wild animals are trapped, confined and forced to live and behave unnaturally to entertain tourists. Pledge to be an animal-friendly traveller and help end this cycle of cruelty

• 84% of Canadians believe wild animals belong in the wild where they can live naturally
• 81% of Canadians would prefer to see animals in the wild
• 75% of Canadians think people should not make an income from keeping wild animals if the animals suffer

The study was commissioned by World Animal Protection and conducted by KANTAR PUBLIC via TNS online omnibus from 21–26 August 2014 and 12–16 January 2017. Sample 12,381 across 12 countries. A total of 1,050 Canadians were surveyed. Data was weighted to be representative by age, gender and region within country.

New York City Restaurant News: West Village Stalwart Cafe Loup Re-Opens Tonight

New York City Restaurant News:
Café Loup Re-opens in the West Village
to the delight of all
Café Loup, a classic French bistro that was a mainstay of New York City's West Village scene since 1977, reopens tonight to the relief of booze loving literary types throughout the city.

The bistro on Thirteenth Street near Sixth Avenue hit the headlines earlier in September 2018 when it closed abruptly. A notice posted on the door declared that it had been "SEIZED" by the the New York State Department of Taxes and Finance for unpaid taxes.

Word spread quickly among NYC's tight restaurant and literary crowd, along with a chorus of dismay. Many of the city's publishing elite went public with their regrets, including Sam Sifton of The New York Times, and luminaries Fran Lebowitz and Susan Sontag.

Café Loup survived through the decades by providing a reliable menu of bistro favourites like - naturally - French onion soup with gruyère, pâté, escargots, and moules marinières, among many others, at prices that are still affordable for most. Along with a tasty French country menu, the café offers a relaxed ambiance with a classic finish, and has been popular since it opened.

It's the fave haunt of many of the city's literary types from Susan Sontag to Paul Auster, and with its quiet, unassuming elegance. With white linens, white walls, and quiet candelit corners, it's not surprising. Christopher Hitchens was something of a regular, and wrote a tribute to the place in The Spectator in 2001, and the Big Apple's once robust print world luminaries liked to drop in for a martini on the reg.

But, the scare is all over. The café announced its reopening via social media.

#CafeLoup will reopen tomorrow, Wednesday September 26th, for good. Please join us at 5:30 until late. Thank you for your support.

TIFF18 Scrapbook

#tiff18 memories
#TIFF2018, we hardly knew ye. It seems like barely two weeks ago that I picked up my media ID and it was off to the races. (It actually was two weeks ago, lol.) Here are the pics, the schedule, and the pieces I wrote for the Toronto International Film Festival 2018.
TIFF takes over King StreetDay 1- pick up press pass

- cocktail party at Le Milagro hosted by the Toronto Film Critics Association
TIFF Street Theatre- gossip with other journos

Day 2- brunch with the TIFF people - lovely, lovely people


TIFF CEO Piers Handling says good-bye to the media (he's stepping down)Day 3- screening - Fig Tree
The media herd heading for a screening at the Scotiabank Place Cinemas- screening - Lionheart

- cocktail party with Documentary Directors
Varda Filmmaker's Lounge- gossip - meet Naziha Arebi - decide to add Freedom Fields to the list
- interview with Ng'endo Mukii

Day 4- screening - Freedom Fields

- screening - Farming
Day 5- interview - Aalam-Warqe Davidian at Le Germain Hotel (Fig Tree)

- second interview postponed by email
- third interview - Tom Volf at Dineen Cafe - about Maria by Callas

- fourth interview - Jahmil X.T. Qubeka at 401 Richmond (Sew The Winter To My Skin)

Day 6- Everything is cancelled and rearranged


Day 7- Interview Stephane Bak at TIFF Bell Lightbox (Mercy of the Jungle)

- Interview Naziha Arebi & Fadwa - Intercontinental Hotel (Freedom Fields)

Day 8 - Screening - Sew The Winter To My Skin
TIFF Bell Lightbox MadnessAlso: checking email and text messages every half hour, every day, because things change and change...

And Toronto is so pretty when there's a Festival in town.





Now, all that's left is the detritus...