Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven, page 75
August 26, 2017
Recently Released: Revolushn - Further!! (Independent June 15 2017)
Recently Released:
Revolushn - Further!!
(Independent, June 15, 2017)
• Get it on iTunes
Further is the second release from San Francisco psych rock collective Revolushn. Synthy melodies, rock guitar grooves, and visceral rhythms co-exist in the work of Revolushn. There's even a bit of a prog rock vibe in the virtuosic drumming work and nifty guitar lines. It's modern rock that takes threads from existing genres to weave them into an inventive, shimmery fabric.
The founders of the group go by NO, on guitar, keyboard, and vocals, and Dekay (or just David Kendrick,) on drums (Devo, Sparks). Dekay also writes most of the lyrics for the band. They're rounded out by Guinevere Q on bass and vocals, Young Sun on guitar, vocals, and mandolin, and Schubert Ola on keyboards and vocals. The result is a satisfyingly full sound with a range of moods at their disposal.
The music is tight, infectious and danceable. Dinosaurs opens the album with an eighties glam rock song wrapped inside driving classic-flavoured guitar rock, with a little psychadelica thrown in for good measure. It's the kind of music with guitar solos that stick in your head, along with those weird flashes of electronica just to break the mood. It was the first single off the album, and recently made the Hot 100 Next Big Thing list on Spotify.
Dog Gets High is the latest video, another driving rocker.
Vocal duties are trippy and atmospheric, with inventive harmonies that layer on top of the groove in tracks like You Will Go. The song moves at a more languid pace in a seventies throwback mode.
All Is As It Should Be gets its momentum from an inventive drum line, and the titular refrain that hovers over the drums, bass'n'guitar machine that churns away underneath. The effect is slightly off kilter, putting the lie to the title. The title track, Further!!, has a jazzy feel with an avant garde sensibility.
Revolushn began it evolution as a studio band that played songs written by No and Dekay. The group recorded enough songs to put out the album The Freshman a few years ago, and get some notice on the airwaves.
Revolushn
The songs were written by NO and David Kendrick. The pair met up with producer Aaron Connor (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Belinda Carlyle, Ed Sheeran) at the Grammys and played him some of their tracks. He listened and pulled out his faves.
Based in San Francsico, the band plays shows though out California and is gearing up for a national tour to support the album in the fall. You don't have to be a fan of any particular style or era of rock to enjoy this imaginative release.
Stay Connected:
Website: Revolushn.com
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/revolushn/sets/further
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olgas.page.9
Twitter: https://twitter.com/therub9
Revolushn - Further!!
(Independent, June 15, 2017)
• Get it on iTunes
Further is the second release from San Francisco psych rock collective Revolushn. Synthy melodies, rock guitar grooves, and visceral rhythms co-exist in the work of Revolushn. There's even a bit of a prog rock vibe in the virtuosic drumming work and nifty guitar lines. It's modern rock that takes threads from existing genres to weave them into an inventive, shimmery fabric.
The founders of the group go by NO, on guitar, keyboard, and vocals, and Dekay (or just David Kendrick,) on drums (Devo, Sparks). Dekay also writes most of the lyrics for the band. They're rounded out by Guinevere Q on bass and vocals, Young Sun on guitar, vocals, and mandolin, and Schubert Ola on keyboards and vocals. The result is a satisfyingly full sound with a range of moods at their disposal.The music is tight, infectious and danceable. Dinosaurs opens the album with an eighties glam rock song wrapped inside driving classic-flavoured guitar rock, with a little psychadelica thrown in for good measure. It's the kind of music with guitar solos that stick in your head, along with those weird flashes of electronica just to break the mood. It was the first single off the album, and recently made the Hot 100 Next Big Thing list on Spotify.
Dog Gets High is the latest video, another driving rocker.
Vocal duties are trippy and atmospheric, with inventive harmonies that layer on top of the groove in tracks like You Will Go. The song moves at a more languid pace in a seventies throwback mode.
All Is As It Should Be gets its momentum from an inventive drum line, and the titular refrain that hovers over the drums, bass'n'guitar machine that churns away underneath. The effect is slightly off kilter, putting the lie to the title. The title track, Further!!, has a jazzy feel with an avant garde sensibility.
Revolushn began it evolution as a studio band that played songs written by No and Dekay. The group recorded enough songs to put out the album The Freshman a few years ago, and get some notice on the airwaves.
RevolushnThe songs were written by NO and David Kendrick. The pair met up with producer Aaron Connor (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Belinda Carlyle, Ed Sheeran) at the Grammys and played him some of their tracks. He listened and pulled out his faves.
Based in San Francsico, the band plays shows though out California and is gearing up for a national tour to support the album in the fall. You don't have to be a fan of any particular style or era of rock to enjoy this imaginative release.
Stay Connected:
Website: Revolushn.com
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/revolushn/sets/further
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olgas.page.9
Twitter: https://twitter.com/therub9
August 24, 2017
Toronto Hotel News: Stunning Design Changes at the Windsor Arms Hotel Just In Time For TIFF2017
From a media release:
Toronto Hotel News:
Stunning Design Changes at the Windsor Arms Hotel Commenced by Luxury Design Firm Dinel Design The Luxurious Toronto Landmark Hotel Brought in Toronto Luxury Designer Jacques Dinel to Provide a Revived Classic Look to Hotel as it Prepares for Busy tiff 2017 Season
Toronto, ON – August 24, 2017: The Windsor Arms Hotel has hired Toronto-based luxury design firm Dinel Design to conduct the renovation and re-styling of some of the internationally renowned Toronto Hotel’s key common area rooms which include, lobby, ballroom, conference rooms and tea rooms.
This historic boutique hotel is located in one of Toronto’s chicest neighbourhoods, within easy reach of the Royal Ontario Museum, the fashionable Yorkville streets and quaint luxury shops of Bloor Street, and the main shopping and restaurant artery of downtown Toronto. The luxury hotel has become a staple ‘must stay’ over the last decade for celebrities and notable international travellers that include dignitaries and Royal families who have been visiting the booming City.
“Design and service is a central part of the philosophy of our hotel, setting the tone and further creating a sense of style and classic comfort is the objectives of these design changes. The Dinel Design firm with their sophisticated and impeccable exquisite taste was chosen as it will bring that individuality we look to further achieve for the Windsor Arms not seen anywhere else in Canada,” says George Friedmann, Founder and Owner of the Windsor Arms.
Jacques Dinel, Founder of Dinel Design states: “The client is essential in inspiring the design process, focusing on the zeitgeist of the city throughout the property, working the traditional elements of the city or region in a contemporary way. The chosen approach for the Windsor Arms project was to capture the unique old-world guilded style of the building while providing the warmest features and comforts, home away from home. Although it sits at the centre of an ever-growing, contemporary metropolis, the eclectic, European design of the family-owned hotel is a fundamental component of the city’s architectural landscape.”
Residents and visitors will be able to begin exploring the incredible improvements to all common areas, the ballroom, conference rooms and the lobby in late August. Dinel Designs also finished work to the mid-twentieth century of the tea room, dining room, and bar.
About Dinel Design:
Dinel Design is an exclusive, Toronto-based firm founded by Jacques Dinel. The unique style of work is a combination of elements from his time in London, Paris, Rome, and New York. Each of the beautiful creations and renovations that come from Dinel Design begin with a dedicated focus on the interests and needs of the clientele. Dinel specializes in high-end estate development, as well as commercial and corporate projects. His award winning style has brought in numerous notable clientele from all over the world including Jordan, Costa Rica, NYC Paris, Ft Lauderdale and other major international markets.
High tea, pre-renovations is fabulous already:
Toronto Hotel News:
Stunning Design Changes at the Windsor Arms Hotel Commenced by Luxury Design Firm Dinel Design The Luxurious Toronto Landmark Hotel Brought in Toronto Luxury Designer Jacques Dinel to Provide a Revived Classic Look to Hotel as it Prepares for Busy tiff 2017 Season
Toronto, ON – August 24, 2017: The Windsor Arms Hotel has hired Toronto-based luxury design firm Dinel Design to conduct the renovation and re-styling of some of the internationally renowned Toronto Hotel’s key common area rooms which include, lobby, ballroom, conference rooms and tea rooms.This historic boutique hotel is located in one of Toronto’s chicest neighbourhoods, within easy reach of the Royal Ontario Museum, the fashionable Yorkville streets and quaint luxury shops of Bloor Street, and the main shopping and restaurant artery of downtown Toronto. The luxury hotel has become a staple ‘must stay’ over the last decade for celebrities and notable international travellers that include dignitaries and Royal families who have been visiting the booming City.
“Design and service is a central part of the philosophy of our hotel, setting the tone and further creating a sense of style and classic comfort is the objectives of these design changes. The Dinel Design firm with their sophisticated and impeccable exquisite taste was chosen as it will bring that individuality we look to further achieve for the Windsor Arms not seen anywhere else in Canada,” says George Friedmann, Founder and Owner of the Windsor Arms.
Jacques Dinel, Founder of Dinel Design states: “The client is essential in inspiring the design process, focusing on the zeitgeist of the city throughout the property, working the traditional elements of the city or region in a contemporary way. The chosen approach for the Windsor Arms project was to capture the unique old-world guilded style of the building while providing the warmest features and comforts, home away from home. Although it sits at the centre of an ever-growing, contemporary metropolis, the eclectic, European design of the family-owned hotel is a fundamental component of the city’s architectural landscape.”Residents and visitors will be able to begin exploring the incredible improvements to all common areas, the ballroom, conference rooms and the lobby in late August. Dinel Designs also finished work to the mid-twentieth century of the tea room, dining room, and bar.
About Dinel Design:
Dinel Design is an exclusive, Toronto-based firm founded by Jacques Dinel. The unique style of work is a combination of elements from his time in London, Paris, Rome, and New York. Each of the beautiful creations and renovations that come from Dinel Design begin with a dedicated focus on the interests and needs of the clientele. Dinel specializes in high-end estate development, as well as commercial and corporate projects. His award winning style has brought in numerous notable clientele from all over the world including Jordan, Costa Rica, NYC Paris, Ft Lauderdale and other major international markets.
High tea, pre-renovations is fabulous already:
2017 Jazz Album of the Year: America's National Parks by Wadada Leo Smith
From a media release:
DownBeat Magazine's 2017 Jazz Album of the Year
America's National Parks by Wadada Leo Smith
• Buy the CD
DownBeat Magazine's 65th Annual Critics Poll honors Wadada Leo Smith's America's National Parks, released on Cuneiform Records, with its 2017 Jazz Album of the Year Award. The DownBeat Critics Poll Awards, one of the jazz world's most prestigious honors, also recognized Smith with its 2017 Musician of the Year Award and its Trumpeter of the Year Award. Earlier this summer, Smith was named 2017 Jazz Artist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association. Without question, 2017 is The Year of Wadada Leo Smith.
"Mr. Smith, a trumpeter of fiery purpose and intrepid imagination" -New York Times
In October 2016, while America celebrated the Centennial of America's National Park Service and prepared for its 45th presidential election, the visionary composer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith released an extraordinary double-disc album on Cuneiform Records. Named after and in tribute to America’s National Parks, it was a six-movement suite inspired by the scenic splendor, historic legacy, and political controversies of the country’s public landscapes. Smith recorded the album with his longstanding Golden Quintet: Anthony Davis (piano), Ashley Walters (cello), John Lindberg (bass). Pheeroan akLaff (drums) and Jesse Gilbert (video artist).
The two-disc set featured six Smith compositions that celebrated America's most iconic national splendors and proposed new monuments to America's shared experience. Among the tracks celebrating national parks was one titled "Yellowstone: The First National Park and the Spirit of America – The Mountains, Super-Volcano Caldera and Its Ecosystem 1872", which honored the first National Park in America and in the world, created before the founding of the National Park Service.
Talking about his America's National Parks, Smith noted: "My focus is on the... idea of setting aside reserves for common property of the American citizens: those who have passed on before, those who are here in the present, and those who will come in the future. The...collective notion about common property, inheritance, longevity, transformation, and sustaining beauty down the line...”
Cuneiform Records - the same label that released Smith's monumental, 4-disc tribute to the American Civil Rights movement, Ten Freedom Summers, a finalist for 2013's Pulitzer Prize - released America's National Parks worldwide on October 14th, 2016. Cuneiform announced America's National Parks release in a special "The Word is Out" eblast.
From the moment of its release, America's National Parks steadily accrued acclaim from jazz and creative music critics and fans worldwide. DownBeat Magazine featured Smith on its November cover, calling him a "National Treasure."
"Smith is a true master, and America's National Parks is one of his most visionary works" -The Quietus
As word about America's National Parks spread worldwide, the album received countless positive reviews in magazines, newspapers and webzines, and new reviews continue to emerge. Released in Fall 2016, it also appeared on dozens of high-profile Best of Year lists for 2016, including:
#1 Best Jazz Album of 2016 by The Quietus
#1 on Dusted's Best of 2016
#2 on NPR Jazz Critics' Poll
#6 on Slates' Best Jazz Albums of 2016
The New York Time's Best Albums of 2016
#1 on El Intruso's Ninth Annual International Critics Poll
#1 Jazz CD by The Wire,
and many others
Now, in Summer 2017, America's National Parks has received one of the jazz world's most coveted prizes: named #1 Jazz Album of the Year by DownBeat Magazine's 65th Annual Critics Poll.
"New Orleans: The National Culture Park USA 1718 [Excerpt]":
DownBeat Magazine's 2017 Jazz Album of the Year
America's National Parks by Wadada Leo Smith
• Buy the CD
DownBeat Magazine's 65th Annual Critics Poll honors Wadada Leo Smith's America's National Parks, released on Cuneiform Records, with its 2017 Jazz Album of the Year Award. The DownBeat Critics Poll Awards, one of the jazz world's most prestigious honors, also recognized Smith with its 2017 Musician of the Year Award and its Trumpeter of the Year Award. Earlier this summer, Smith was named 2017 Jazz Artist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association. Without question, 2017 is The Year of Wadada Leo Smith."Mr. Smith, a trumpeter of fiery purpose and intrepid imagination" -New York Times
In October 2016, while America celebrated the Centennial of America's National Park Service and prepared for its 45th presidential election, the visionary composer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith released an extraordinary double-disc album on Cuneiform Records. Named after and in tribute to America’s National Parks, it was a six-movement suite inspired by the scenic splendor, historic legacy, and political controversies of the country’s public landscapes. Smith recorded the album with his longstanding Golden Quintet: Anthony Davis (piano), Ashley Walters (cello), John Lindberg (bass). Pheeroan akLaff (drums) and Jesse Gilbert (video artist).
The two-disc set featured six Smith compositions that celebrated America's most iconic national splendors and proposed new monuments to America's shared experience. Among the tracks celebrating national parks was one titled "Yellowstone: The First National Park and the Spirit of America – The Mountains, Super-Volcano Caldera and Its Ecosystem 1872", which honored the first National Park in America and in the world, created before the founding of the National Park Service.
Talking about his America's National Parks, Smith noted: "My focus is on the... idea of setting aside reserves for common property of the American citizens: those who have passed on before, those who are here in the present, and those who will come in the future. The...collective notion about common property, inheritance, longevity, transformation, and sustaining beauty down the line...”
Cuneiform Records - the same label that released Smith's monumental, 4-disc tribute to the American Civil Rights movement, Ten Freedom Summers, a finalist for 2013's Pulitzer Prize - released America's National Parks worldwide on October 14th, 2016. Cuneiform announced America's National Parks release in a special "The Word is Out" eblast.
From the moment of its release, America's National Parks steadily accrued acclaim from jazz and creative music critics and fans worldwide. DownBeat Magazine featured Smith on its November cover, calling him a "National Treasure."
"Smith is a true master, and America's National Parks is one of his most visionary works" -The Quietus
As word about America's National Parks spread worldwide, the album received countless positive reviews in magazines, newspapers and webzines, and new reviews continue to emerge. Released in Fall 2016, it also appeared on dozens of high-profile Best of Year lists for 2016, including:
#1 Best Jazz Album of 2016 by The Quietus
#1 on Dusted's Best of 2016
#2 on NPR Jazz Critics' Poll
#6 on Slates' Best Jazz Albums of 2016
The New York Time's Best Albums of 2016
#1 on El Intruso's Ninth Annual International Critics Poll
#1 Jazz CD by The Wire,
and many others
Now, in Summer 2017, America's National Parks has received one of the jazz world's most coveted prizes: named #1 Jazz Album of the Year by DownBeat Magazine's 65th Annual Critics Poll.
"New Orleans: The National Culture Park USA 1718 [Excerpt]":
Contemporary Dance: Citadel + Compagnie 'Factory' September 20-23 2017
From a media release:
Citadel + Compagnie Launches 2017/18 Bright Nights Season
with World Premiere of Michael Caldwell’s Factory
September 20 – 23, 2017
Toronto-based Choreographer Exposes Society’s Compulsion for Power and Corruption in Full-Length Contemporary Work
Tickets: Adults: $25 Seniors/Students/Artists: $20
Box Office: Online or ph: 416-364-8011 (ext. 1)
TORONTO, ON – Citadel + Compagnie (C+C) launches its 2017/18 Bright Nights season with the world premiere of Factory, a stirring contemporary dance work examining the riotous disruption of a hyper-connected society, September 20 – 23, 2017 at The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance. Produced by MLC Dance with pounds per square inch performance (lbs/sq”), Factory is the first full-length project from Toronto choreographer and two-time Dora Award-winner Michael Caldwell. Created in collaboration with Gemini award-winning composer Phil Strong, this thought-provoking work will assemble five of Canada’s premier dancers who will thrust audiences into a surreal, post-traumatic world of chaos, power, and deception.
Stéphanie Tremblay, Louis Laberge-Côté, Lori Duncan, Kaitlin Standeven by by Zhenya Cerneacov “Citadel + Compagnie has been a long-time fan of Michael Caldwell. He is an in-demand choreographer turning heads in the Canadian dance scene and we are immensely proud to be showcasing his riveting work this season,” says Laurence Lemieux, Artistic Director, C+C. “With astute vision and nuanced imagination, Michael merges striking and visceral movement with immersive sound and imagery, generating electricity on stage. As a company that proudly fosters creative innovation, we are thrilled to host the unveiling of Michael’s latest groundbreaking work.”
In Factory, choreographer Caldwell and composer Strong will construct a dizzying sonic universe – a place of intense social connectivity lacking real human interaction. Toronto’s esteemed dancers Lori Duncan, Louis Laberge-Côté, Benjamin Landsberg, Kaitlin Standeven, and Stéphanie Tremblay will converge and come apart through idiosyncratic, impulse-driven movements, dismantling form and decoding layers of meaning with distinct interpretation. A timely meditation on the political and societal realities of the attainment and abuse of power, Factory offers a mesmerizing dioramic view of the here and now as a moment in time.
Known for his “exceptional interpretive skills” (The Globe & Mail), Caldwell is a highly sought-after contemporary dancer who has performed with some of the country’s leading choreographers & companies, including Peggy Baker, Emmanuel Jouthe, and James Kudelka – and internationally with Tomeo Vergés (France), Sacha Steenks (Netherlands), and Antony Hamilton (Australia). As a choreographer, Caldwell draws from his knowledge of film and art history to create multi-sensory and cutting-edge dance works. To date, he has developed works commissioned and presented by dance: made in Canada Festival, CanAsian Dance Festival, Nuit Blanche, Toronto Fringe Festival, among others.
Factory will be brought to life by Joe Pagnan (production design), Noah Feaver (lighting design), Heidi Strauss (outside eye), and Indrit Kasapi (dramaturgy).
Stéphanie Tremblay, Louis Laberge-Côté, Lori Duncan, Kaitlin Standeven by by Zhenya Cerneacov
About Citadel + Compagnie
Citadel + Compagnie, formerly Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie, was founded by Bill Coleman and Laurence Lemieux in 2000. This Toronto-based professional dance company creates, produces and presents works on local, national and international scales from its home base in a former Salvation Army Citadel in the Regent Park neighborhood of Toronto.
About MLC Dance:
MLC Dance was founded in July 2014 by life partners Michael Caldwell and Louis Laberge-Côté as a vehicle to explore their collaborative choreographic and performative ideas. In 2015, MLC Dance created two new works: Barbara and the President, commissioned by Dance Matters for the In the Fryin’ Pan Series, and A little grass sonata, commissioned by Kaeja d’Dance for the Porch View Dances Festival.
Stéphanie Tremblay, Louis Laberge-Côté,
Lori Duncan, Kaitlin Standeven by by Zhenya Cerneacov Citadel + Compagnie presents
Michael Caldwell’s Factory
September 20 – 23 at 8pm
The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance
304 Parliament Street
Toronto, ON M5A 2Z6
Tickets: Adults: $25 Seniors/Students/Artists: $20
Box Office: Online or ph: 416-364-8011 (ext. 1)
Social Media:
facebook.com/citadelcie/
twitter.com/citadelcie
Citadel + Compagnie Launches 2017/18 Bright Nights Season
with World Premiere of Michael Caldwell’s Factory
September 20 – 23, 2017
Toronto-based Choreographer Exposes Society’s Compulsion for Power and Corruption in Full-Length Contemporary Work
Tickets: Adults: $25 Seniors/Students/Artists: $20
Box Office: Online or ph: 416-364-8011 (ext. 1)
TORONTO, ON – Citadel + Compagnie (C+C) launches its 2017/18 Bright Nights season with the world premiere of Factory, a stirring contemporary dance work examining the riotous disruption of a hyper-connected society, September 20 – 23, 2017 at The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance. Produced by MLC Dance with pounds per square inch performance (lbs/sq”), Factory is the first full-length project from Toronto choreographer and two-time Dora Award-winner Michael Caldwell. Created in collaboration with Gemini award-winning composer Phil Strong, this thought-provoking work will assemble five of Canada’s premier dancers who will thrust audiences into a surreal, post-traumatic world of chaos, power, and deception.
Stéphanie Tremblay, Louis Laberge-Côté, Lori Duncan, Kaitlin Standeven by by Zhenya Cerneacov “Citadel + Compagnie has been a long-time fan of Michael Caldwell. He is an in-demand choreographer turning heads in the Canadian dance scene and we are immensely proud to be showcasing his riveting work this season,” says Laurence Lemieux, Artistic Director, C+C. “With astute vision and nuanced imagination, Michael merges striking and visceral movement with immersive sound and imagery, generating electricity on stage. As a company that proudly fosters creative innovation, we are thrilled to host the unveiling of Michael’s latest groundbreaking work.”In Factory, choreographer Caldwell and composer Strong will construct a dizzying sonic universe – a place of intense social connectivity lacking real human interaction. Toronto’s esteemed dancers Lori Duncan, Louis Laberge-Côté, Benjamin Landsberg, Kaitlin Standeven, and Stéphanie Tremblay will converge and come apart through idiosyncratic, impulse-driven movements, dismantling form and decoding layers of meaning with distinct interpretation. A timely meditation on the political and societal realities of the attainment and abuse of power, Factory offers a mesmerizing dioramic view of the here and now as a moment in time.
Known for his “exceptional interpretive skills” (The Globe & Mail), Caldwell is a highly sought-after contemporary dancer who has performed with some of the country’s leading choreographers & companies, including Peggy Baker, Emmanuel Jouthe, and James Kudelka – and internationally with Tomeo Vergés (France), Sacha Steenks (Netherlands), and Antony Hamilton (Australia). As a choreographer, Caldwell draws from his knowledge of film and art history to create multi-sensory and cutting-edge dance works. To date, he has developed works commissioned and presented by dance: made in Canada Festival, CanAsian Dance Festival, Nuit Blanche, Toronto Fringe Festival, among others.
Factory will be brought to life by Joe Pagnan (production design), Noah Feaver (lighting design), Heidi Strauss (outside eye), and Indrit Kasapi (dramaturgy).
Stéphanie Tremblay, Louis Laberge-Côté, Lori Duncan, Kaitlin Standeven by by Zhenya Cerneacov About Citadel + Compagnie
Citadel + Compagnie, formerly Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie, was founded by Bill Coleman and Laurence Lemieux in 2000. This Toronto-based professional dance company creates, produces and presents works on local, national and international scales from its home base in a former Salvation Army Citadel in the Regent Park neighborhood of Toronto.
About MLC Dance:
MLC Dance was founded in July 2014 by life partners Michael Caldwell and Louis Laberge-Côté as a vehicle to explore their collaborative choreographic and performative ideas. In 2015, MLC Dance created two new works: Barbara and the President, commissioned by Dance Matters for the In the Fryin’ Pan Series, and A little grass sonata, commissioned by Kaeja d’Dance for the Porch View Dances Festival.
Stéphanie Tremblay, Louis Laberge-Côté, Lori Duncan, Kaitlin Standeven by by Zhenya Cerneacov Citadel + Compagnie presents
Michael Caldwell’s Factory
September 20 – 23 at 8pm
The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance
304 Parliament Street
Toronto, ON M5A 2Z6
Tickets: Adults: $25 Seniors/Students/Artists: $20
Box Office: Online or ph: 416-364-8011 (ext. 1)
Social Media:
facebook.com/citadelcie/
twitter.com/citadelcie
Coming October 20: ANDINA Huayno, Carnaval and Cumbia – The Sound of the Peruvian Andes 1968-1978
From a media release:
ANDINA
Huayno, Carnaval and Cumbia – The Sound of the Peruvian Andes 1968-1978
The First In A Three Part Regional Series Of Albums Exploring Peru’s Diverse Musical Heritage
Artist: Various Artists
Label: Tiger’s Milk/Strut
Release Date: October 20, 2017
A window into the full-blooded, captivating spirit of music from the Andes, ANDINA shines a fresh perspective on Peru’s multifaceted heritage. A co-release with Strut Records, the album is selected from records originally released between ’68 and ‘78, upending clichéd ideas of Andean music and bringing to light the divergent, exciting traditions to have emerged from Peru’s strip of the iconic mountain range. Encompassing steady-grooving, Peruvian cumbia rhythms, transcendent folkloric harp recordings and Lima big band groups taking influence from their highland neighbors, it boasts a diversity that will appeal to fans of jazz and Latin as well as tropical-minded DJs and deep-digging collectors.
It was dubstep producer and DJ Mala (Digital Mystikz) who most recently shone a light on the Andes region with his 2016 album Mirrors on Brownswood Recordings – Tiger’s Milk founder Martin Morales, having been introduced to Mala by label boss and DJ Gilles Peterson, accompanied Mala to Peru two years earlier, acting as his guide and mentor in discovering the breadth of Peru’s musical history. As well as the founder of Tiger’s Milk, Martin is recognized as a pioneer of Peruvian food in the UK and he is the GQ Food & Drinks 2017 Innovator of the Year award winner. An avid DJ and record collector, Martin has once again teamed up with Tiger’s Milk co-founder Duncan Ballantyne (former Soundway label manager) and Peruvian crate digger Andres Tapia del Rio to create a series which starts with ANDINA but will later include discoveries from the Amazon and the coast of Peru.
ANDINA was never intended to be a definitive overview of Andean music. The selection sees the debut release of many tracks (since their original vinyl release on Peruvian labels like Iempsa, Sono Radio and El Virrey) and reflects, what we think are, the most exciting insights into Andean musical culture. Not restricted to bands based in the Andes, there are entries from outsiders, in particular from the coastal city of Lima, artists who took cues from their compatriots in the mountains. The sound most represented is that of Peruvian cumbia where groups imbued a tropical, Colombian style with Andean huayno rhythms and rock-influenced electric guitars. The album also reflects the huge numbers of traditional folk records released during this era that left a bounty of atmospheric, harp-plucked huayno and carnaval to be discovered.
Some bands featured took touchstones of much-loved musica criolla (black music from the coast) and spun them in a cumbia style. In Los Walker’s de Huánuco’s ‘Todos Vuelven’, for example, the Peruvian cumbia group re-purpose a musica criolla landmark originally a hit for César Miró in 1943 of which a version appeared on Ruben Blades’ 1984 hit album Buscando America. It sees an Afro-Peruvian original seen through a Quechua-styled, Afro-Colombian prism. To put it another way, it is a prime example of how the Andean sound was born of the reimagined, intertwined musical legacies of Latin America and the African diaspora.
In a similar vein, Los Sabios del Ritmo’s ‘Cholita’ is a track which, originally popular in a criollo style, is injected with an Andean rhythm. Hailing from the Mantaro valley in Junin, Los Demonios del Mantaro perfectly combine that Peruvian cumbia and huayno sound with two shining examples. Compadres Del Ande and Los Bárbaros del Centro follow a similar path – the latter has two tracks featured both written by the prolific Carlos Baquerizo Castro.
Alicia Maguiña’s ‘Perla Andina’ is a cumbia with a splendorous, big band arrangement. A Lima-based singer and composer, it was penned as an ode to the Andes. Likewise, pianist Lucho Neves’ ‘Caymeñita’ takes Peruvian cumbia into a soulful, brass-filled direction, led by some delightful tinkering. On ‘Toyascha’, Conjunto Kori Cinta de Huancavelica strike a sombre mode of carnaval. With just a simple harp and a voice and lyrics sung in Quechua, it is a meditative closing note for the album. In a different mode of the traditional Andes, ‘Mi Casacancha’ by Conjunto Los Luceritos de Casacancha is a sombre composition with a muliza rhythm, combining violins, harp and a clutch of wind instruments.
Reflecting on his connection to the Andes, Martin Morales remembers: “Growing up in the coastal city of Lima, it was my grandmother who kept our family’s connection to the mountains alive. Our visits to her home high up in the Andes in the province of La Libertad and the fascinating 18 hour trips we made to reach her passing through villages and towns, sounds and flavors, imparted in me a strong sense of the Andes’ traditions, creativity and rich artistic textures.” The Andes’ different cultures have resulted in a myriad of ever-evolving hybrids as shown by this collection, which opens the door onto just a few of its most fascinating musical examples.
ANDINA
Huayno, Carnaval and Cumbia – The Sound of the Peruvian Andes 1968-1978
The First In A Three Part Regional Series Of Albums Exploring Peru’s Diverse Musical Heritage
Artist: Various Artists
Label: Tiger’s Milk/Strut
Release Date: October 20, 2017
A window into the full-blooded, captivating spirit of music from the Andes, ANDINA shines a fresh perspective on Peru’s multifaceted heritage. A co-release with Strut Records, the album is selected from records originally released between ’68 and ‘78, upending clichéd ideas of Andean music and bringing to light the divergent, exciting traditions to have emerged from Peru’s strip of the iconic mountain range. Encompassing steady-grooving, Peruvian cumbia rhythms, transcendent folkloric harp recordings and Lima big band groups taking influence from their highland neighbors, it boasts a diversity that will appeal to fans of jazz and Latin as well as tropical-minded DJs and deep-digging collectors.
It was dubstep producer and DJ Mala (Digital Mystikz) who most recently shone a light on the Andes region with his 2016 album Mirrors on Brownswood Recordings – Tiger’s Milk founder Martin Morales, having been introduced to Mala by label boss and DJ Gilles Peterson, accompanied Mala to Peru two years earlier, acting as his guide and mentor in discovering the breadth of Peru’s musical history. As well as the founder of Tiger’s Milk, Martin is recognized as a pioneer of Peruvian food in the UK and he is the GQ Food & Drinks 2017 Innovator of the Year award winner. An avid DJ and record collector, Martin has once again teamed up with Tiger’s Milk co-founder Duncan Ballantyne (former Soundway label manager) and Peruvian crate digger Andres Tapia del Rio to create a series which starts with ANDINA but will later include discoveries from the Amazon and the coast of Peru.ANDINA was never intended to be a definitive overview of Andean music. The selection sees the debut release of many tracks (since their original vinyl release on Peruvian labels like Iempsa, Sono Radio and El Virrey) and reflects, what we think are, the most exciting insights into Andean musical culture. Not restricted to bands based in the Andes, there are entries from outsiders, in particular from the coastal city of Lima, artists who took cues from their compatriots in the mountains. The sound most represented is that of Peruvian cumbia where groups imbued a tropical, Colombian style with Andean huayno rhythms and rock-influenced electric guitars. The album also reflects the huge numbers of traditional folk records released during this era that left a bounty of atmospheric, harp-plucked huayno and carnaval to be discovered.
Some bands featured took touchstones of much-loved musica criolla (black music from the coast) and spun them in a cumbia style. In Los Walker’s de Huánuco’s ‘Todos Vuelven’, for example, the Peruvian cumbia group re-purpose a musica criolla landmark originally a hit for César Miró in 1943 of which a version appeared on Ruben Blades’ 1984 hit album Buscando America. It sees an Afro-Peruvian original seen through a Quechua-styled, Afro-Colombian prism. To put it another way, it is a prime example of how the Andean sound was born of the reimagined, intertwined musical legacies of Latin America and the African diaspora.
In a similar vein, Los Sabios del Ritmo’s ‘Cholita’ is a track which, originally popular in a criollo style, is injected with an Andean rhythm. Hailing from the Mantaro valley in Junin, Los Demonios del Mantaro perfectly combine that Peruvian cumbia and huayno sound with two shining examples. Compadres Del Ande and Los Bárbaros del Centro follow a similar path – the latter has two tracks featured both written by the prolific Carlos Baquerizo Castro.
Alicia Maguiña’s ‘Perla Andina’ is a cumbia with a splendorous, big band arrangement. A Lima-based singer and composer, it was penned as an ode to the Andes. Likewise, pianist Lucho Neves’ ‘Caymeñita’ takes Peruvian cumbia into a soulful, brass-filled direction, led by some delightful tinkering. On ‘Toyascha’, Conjunto Kori Cinta de Huancavelica strike a sombre mode of carnaval. With just a simple harp and a voice and lyrics sung in Quechua, it is a meditative closing note for the album. In a different mode of the traditional Andes, ‘Mi Casacancha’ by Conjunto Los Luceritos de Casacancha is a sombre composition with a muliza rhythm, combining violins, harp and a clutch of wind instruments.Reflecting on his connection to the Andes, Martin Morales remembers: “Growing up in the coastal city of Lima, it was my grandmother who kept our family’s connection to the mountains alive. Our visits to her home high up in the Andes in the province of La Libertad and the fascinating 18 hour trips we made to reach her passing through villages and towns, sounds and flavors, imparted in me a strong sense of the Andes’ traditions, creativity and rich artistic textures.” The Andes’ different cultures have resulted in a myriad of ever-evolving hybrids as shown by this collection, which opens the door onto just a few of its most fascinating musical examples.
August 19, 2017
The Red Letter Plays: Two By Suzan-Lori Parks Aug 22 to Oct 8 2017
From a release:
Two Plays by Pulitzer Prize-winner Suzan-Lori Parks
Fucking A - August 22 to October 1, 2017
In the Blood - August 29 to October 8, 2017
All tickets $30 - No Fee Code (below)
NEW YORK CITY - Written by Pulitzer Prize-winner Suzan-Lori Parks, The Red Letter Plays: Fucking A & In the Blood are new productions of two modern-day remixes of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel The Scarlet Letter that conjure two distinct interpretations of Hester, Western literature’s most famous adulteress.
In Fucking A, Hester Smith, the revered and reviled local abortionist, hatches a plan to buy her jailed son’s freedom—and nothing will deter Hester from her quest. In this wild-eyed blend of story and song, directed by Obie Award-winner Jo Bonney (Father Comes Home From the Wars), Hester’s branded letter A becomes a provocative emblem of vengeance, violence, and sacrifice.
In the Blood’s Hester La Negrita is a penniless mother of five condemned by the men who love her, in this play hailed by The New York Times as "…a work of art." You will leave thrilled, even comforted by its mastery.” Hester turns to former lovers, friends, and the institutions meant to support her, only to be spurned by them all with devastating consequences, in this new production directed by Obie Award-winner Sarah Benson (An Octoroon).
The Red Letter Plays: Fucking Aby Suzan-Lori Parksdirected by Jo BonneyAugust 22 - October 1, 2017
Featuring:J. Cameron Barnett • Brandon Victor Dixon • Ben Horner • Joaquina Kalukango • Marc Kudish • Christine Lahti • Ruibo Qian • Elizabeth Stanley • Raphael Nash Thompson
The Romulus Linney Courtyard TheatreThe Pershing Square Signature Center480 W. 42nd Street @ 10th Avenue, NYC
All tickets $30Use code MarciaFA for no fee tickets.
To Purchase TicketsOnline: Click here.By Phone: Call 212.244.7529.In Person: Visit the Signature Theatre Box Office, 480 W. 42nd Street @ 10th Avenue, NYC.
The Red Letter Plays: In The Bloodby Suzan-Lori Parksdirected by Sarah BensonAugust 29 – October 8, 2017
Featuring:Jocelyn Bioh • Michael Braun • Russell G. Jones • Anna Reeder • Saycon Sengbloh • Frank Wood
The Alice Griffin Jewel Box TheatreThe Pershing Square Signature Theatre480 W. 42nd Street @ 10 Avenue, NYC
All Tickets $30Use Code MarciaTB for no fee tickets.
To Purchase Tickets:Online: Click here.By Phone: Call 212.244.7529.In Person: Visit the Signature Theatre Box Office, 480 W. 42nd Street @ 10th Avenue, NYC.
Two Plays by Pulitzer Prize-winner Suzan-Lori Parks
Fucking A - August 22 to October 1, 2017
In the Blood - August 29 to October 8, 2017
All tickets $30 - No Fee Code (below)
NEW YORK CITY - Written by Pulitzer Prize-winner Suzan-Lori Parks, The Red Letter Plays: Fucking A & In the Blood are new productions of two modern-day remixes of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel The Scarlet Letter that conjure two distinct interpretations of Hester, Western literature’s most famous adulteress.In Fucking A, Hester Smith, the revered and reviled local abortionist, hatches a plan to buy her jailed son’s freedom—and nothing will deter Hester from her quest. In this wild-eyed blend of story and song, directed by Obie Award-winner Jo Bonney (Father Comes Home From the Wars), Hester’s branded letter A becomes a provocative emblem of vengeance, violence, and sacrifice.
In the Blood’s Hester La Negrita is a penniless mother of five condemned by the men who love her, in this play hailed by The New York Times as "…a work of art." You will leave thrilled, even comforted by its mastery.” Hester turns to former lovers, friends, and the institutions meant to support her, only to be spurned by them all with devastating consequences, in this new production directed by Obie Award-winner Sarah Benson (An Octoroon).
The Red Letter Plays: Fucking Aby Suzan-Lori Parksdirected by Jo BonneyAugust 22 - October 1, 2017
Featuring:J. Cameron Barnett • Brandon Victor Dixon • Ben Horner • Joaquina Kalukango • Marc Kudish • Christine Lahti • Ruibo Qian • Elizabeth Stanley • Raphael Nash Thompson
The Romulus Linney Courtyard TheatreThe Pershing Square Signature Center480 W. 42nd Street @ 10th Avenue, NYC
All tickets $30Use code MarciaFA for no fee tickets.
To Purchase TicketsOnline: Click here.By Phone: Call 212.244.7529.In Person: Visit the Signature Theatre Box Office, 480 W. 42nd Street @ 10th Avenue, NYC.
The Red Letter Plays: In The Bloodby Suzan-Lori Parksdirected by Sarah BensonAugust 29 – October 8, 2017
Featuring:Jocelyn Bioh • Michael Braun • Russell G. Jones • Anna Reeder • Saycon Sengbloh • Frank Wood
The Alice Griffin Jewel Box TheatreThe Pershing Square Signature Theatre480 W. 42nd Street @ 10 Avenue, NYC
All Tickets $30Use Code MarciaTB for no fee tickets.
To Purchase Tickets:Online: Click here.By Phone: Call 212.244.7529.In Person: Visit the Signature Theatre Box Office, 480 W. 42nd Street @ 10th Avenue, NYC.
Travel Tips for LGBTQI Travelers
With material from a media release:
Travel Tips for LGBTQI Travelers
Holidays are for relaxing, unwinding, and hopefully learning something about the world outside your everyday. When you belong to the LGBTQI community, holiday decisions become more complex. Feeling safe is a priority.
That's why doing your research, and choosing your destination carefully, lays the groundwork for a great holiday experience. Finding LGBTQ-owned accommodations is another way to help ensure an enjoyable holiday. The owners are sure to offer advice on places to go and things to do along with lodgings.
Gay Section on the beach Ipanema in Rio de Janero, Brazil by Jeff Belmonte from Cuiabá, Brazilhttps://www.flickr.com/people/7223693... pragmatic approach overall is what's recommended by Lou Wiltshire-Smith, a coach driver with Topdeck, a tour operator specializing in group tours for 18 to 39s with a taste for the unusual and the adventurous. Lou, whose gender identity is non-binary, is also an experienced world traveler in their own right, and that has included areas of the globe known to be unfriendly to the gay community.
"My gender identity is very non-binary, so I present myself as 'masculine' most of the time. I have to be careful in places where homosexuality is not yet accepted, making sure I’m culturally sensitive and have researched the laws thoroughly ahead of visiting."
No one likes the thought of having to hide their identity, but there are parts of the world where an LGBTQ identity alone can and will cause problems. Lou's advice is to make sure you know what you will be getting into.
"Be careful and try to blend in. You can be a human rights warrior as much as you like on your own turf, but if you're waving the rainbow flag in an unfamiliar country as a tourist, you could end up having a bad holiday. As much as I hate advising people to be anyone other than their fabulous selves, it's easier to 'fit in,' in some instances. We always advise passengers to be culturally sensitive, monitor their behaviour and dress appropriately wherever we go."
Traveling with a partner can add a few more issues to keep in mind. "Something as simple as holding hands in public could cause some grief in the wrong setting."
San Francisco Pride 2015 by zoxcleb - https://www.flickr.com/people/2678181..., with Soho, its large gay district, Madrid, which has hosted World Pride and other major events, Toronto, with a plethora of gay venues all over town in addition to a thriving Gay Village, Tel Aviv (one of the most gay-friendly places in the Middle East), Copenhagen, Berlin, New York City, Lisbon, and San Francisco are listed by Pink News as among the most gay-friendly destinations on the globe. All of those locations celebrate gay culture and feature LGBTQI friendly venues and institutions.
Lou add several tips based on experience.
London - Go to Soho or Shoreditch. G-A-Y is aimed towards men, but it's great for anyone that just wants to dance. Ruby Tuesday's at Ku Bar is fun for the ladies. Paris - The Marais is the LGBTQI area and has lots of great bars and cafes.Barcelona - Head to El Cangrejo Raval for 80's themed drag shows and tapas with your drink. This year I'll be heading to visit the island of Lesvos for the annual two-week Women's Festival. The festival is from 9th - 23rd of September and is completely run by women, for women. Amsterdam - Cafe Saarein is the first lesbian cafe I set foot in whilst travelling across Europe on my own six years ago. I made five new friends that night and spent three days at Pride with a close-knit group of lesbian locals. It's one of the highlights of my travels. Berlin - The Berghain. This place is notoriously hard to get into. You have to be a certain sort of punk-rock/grunge-chic/hipster-gay to get in there, but I've heard amazing things about how bizarre it is inside. I plan on getting in there one day!
Lou recommends a group tour operator like Topdeck for a first trip overseas, especially for solo travelers. "I'm hoping Topdeck can gain further ground in the LGBTQI demographic so more young, gay travellers feel comfortable to travel alone and know that our company will cater for them and take care of them."
Despite the need for extra caution, travel can still be a life changing experience. After taking their first trip with Topdeck about three years ago, Lou's become a professional nomad working for the company, and the rewards are the memories and the friends that have become family. The most memorable experience?
"Having a beer in the midnight sun at Nordkapp, the most Northern point of Norway. I was with fantastic crew members and we'd been having such a good trip together. The midnight sun is often hidden behind cloud cover, but we had full, beaming sunlight and it was brilliantly surreal. We also popped some champagne and celebrated a passenger's birthday up there, followed by a karaoke coach trip back to the campsite."
Final word? Do the homework, and get packing.
Travel Tips for LGBTQI Travelers
Holidays are for relaxing, unwinding, and hopefully learning something about the world outside your everyday. When you belong to the LGBTQI community, holiday decisions become more complex. Feeling safe is a priority.
That's why doing your research, and choosing your destination carefully, lays the groundwork for a great holiday experience. Finding LGBTQ-owned accommodations is another way to help ensure an enjoyable holiday. The owners are sure to offer advice on places to go and things to do along with lodgings.
Gay Section on the beach Ipanema in Rio de Janero, Brazil by Jeff Belmonte from Cuiabá, Brazilhttps://www.flickr.com/people/7223693... pragmatic approach overall is what's recommended by Lou Wiltshire-Smith, a coach driver with Topdeck, a tour operator specializing in group tours for 18 to 39s with a taste for the unusual and the adventurous. Lou, whose gender identity is non-binary, is also an experienced world traveler in their own right, and that has included areas of the globe known to be unfriendly to the gay community."My gender identity is very non-binary, so I present myself as 'masculine' most of the time. I have to be careful in places where homosexuality is not yet accepted, making sure I’m culturally sensitive and have researched the laws thoroughly ahead of visiting."
No one likes the thought of having to hide their identity, but there are parts of the world where an LGBTQ identity alone can and will cause problems. Lou's advice is to make sure you know what you will be getting into.
"Be careful and try to blend in. You can be a human rights warrior as much as you like on your own turf, but if you're waving the rainbow flag in an unfamiliar country as a tourist, you could end up having a bad holiday. As much as I hate advising people to be anyone other than their fabulous selves, it's easier to 'fit in,' in some instances. We always advise passengers to be culturally sensitive, monitor their behaviour and dress appropriately wherever we go."
Traveling with a partner can add a few more issues to keep in mind. "Something as simple as holding hands in public could cause some grief in the wrong setting."
San Francisco Pride 2015 by zoxcleb - https://www.flickr.com/people/2678181..., with Soho, its large gay district, Madrid, which has hosted World Pride and other major events, Toronto, with a plethora of gay venues all over town in addition to a thriving Gay Village, Tel Aviv (one of the most gay-friendly places in the Middle East), Copenhagen, Berlin, New York City, Lisbon, and San Francisco are listed by Pink News as among the most gay-friendly destinations on the globe. All of those locations celebrate gay culture and feature LGBTQI friendly venues and institutions.Lou add several tips based on experience.
London - Go to Soho or Shoreditch. G-A-Y is aimed towards men, but it's great for anyone that just wants to dance. Ruby Tuesday's at Ku Bar is fun for the ladies. Paris - The Marais is the LGBTQI area and has lots of great bars and cafes.Barcelona - Head to El Cangrejo Raval for 80's themed drag shows and tapas with your drink. This year I'll be heading to visit the island of Lesvos for the annual two-week Women's Festival. The festival is from 9th - 23rd of September and is completely run by women, for women. Amsterdam - Cafe Saarein is the first lesbian cafe I set foot in whilst travelling across Europe on my own six years ago. I made five new friends that night and spent three days at Pride with a close-knit group of lesbian locals. It's one of the highlights of my travels. Berlin - The Berghain. This place is notoriously hard to get into. You have to be a certain sort of punk-rock/grunge-chic/hipster-gay to get in there, but I've heard amazing things about how bizarre it is inside. I plan on getting in there one day!
Lou recommends a group tour operator like Topdeck for a first trip overseas, especially for solo travelers. "I'm hoping Topdeck can gain further ground in the LGBTQI demographic so more young, gay travellers feel comfortable to travel alone and know that our company will cater for them and take care of them."
Despite the need for extra caution, travel can still be a life changing experience. After taking their first trip with Topdeck about three years ago, Lou's become a professional nomad working for the company, and the rewards are the memories and the friends that have become family. The most memorable experience?
"Having a beer in the midnight sun at Nordkapp, the most Northern point of Norway. I was with fantastic crew members and we'd been having such a good trip together. The midnight sun is often hidden behind cloud cover, but we had full, beaming sunlight and it was brilliantly surreal. We also popped some champagne and celebrated a passenger's birthday up there, followed by a karaoke coach trip back to the campsite."
Final word? Do the homework, and get packing.
August 11, 2017
Cesar F. Correa Cordoba: Painter, sculptor, artisan and musician.
Cesar F. Correa Cordoba
Painter, sculptor, artisan and musician.
• Follow him on Instagram
• Check out his Soundcloud channel
Cesar F. Correa began his artistic life early, exploring painting and drawing as a child in Mexico City. He began to teach himself how to work in various media, later attending workshops at various cultural institutions to add to his expertise.
Cesar's techniques and materials are born in Mexico's land and traditions, including ceramics, woven arts, and working in wood, metal, glass, and paper along with paints. He's been exhibiing his artistic work in solo and group exhibitions in his native Mexico since 2003. Cesar's work tends to fall in a few distinct streams.
Painting
Cesar's paintings inhabit a surreal world where fantasy and reality mix, lit up by a rich sense of colour and depth. People and natural subjects are both examined, with an overarching theme of linking human nature to its environment, often through social and political themes. Street life in Mexico City is a frequent subject of his work.
Mural en "casa de colores" Guanajuato, Mèxico (2016)Organic Sculpture
For about the last 15 years, Cesar has been developing a body of animal sculptures crafted from plants, fruits, seeds and dry organic materials that he collects from all over Mexico and other parts of the world. He's collected materials from forests, beaches, and parks in Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Estado de Mexico, Mexico City, Guanajuato, and Veracruz, among other locales.
From them, he crafts insects, birds, reptiles, fish, and even fanciful beasts like dragons that have a lifelike, organic flow and sense of movement. They're quite remarkable. His own goal is to explore the consciousness of the natural world.
Dibujo lUz
This series explores the stark contrasts of day and night, black and white in drawings that fuse plastic, paint, and electric light. In daylight, the images appear black and white. At night, the colours emerge.
Energia - pintura acrilica, sobre plastico y lampara (2012)Artisan Work
From the whimsical to the practical, Cesar takes his love of natural materials and forms to making novelty sculptures - like a singing skeleton music box - lamps, and other decorative objects. As with the more purely artistic work, he links the human and natural worlds through the marriage of form and function.
To add to his talents, Cesar is an accomplished composer and musician. Here's a little of the music you'll find on his Soundcloud channel.
Painter, sculptor, artisan and musician.
• Follow him on Instagram
• Check out his Soundcloud channel
Cesar F. Correa began his artistic life early, exploring painting and drawing as a child in Mexico City. He began to teach himself how to work in various media, later attending workshops at various cultural institutions to add to his expertise.
Cesar's techniques and materials are born in Mexico's land and traditions, including ceramics, woven arts, and working in wood, metal, glass, and paper along with paints. He's been exhibiing his artistic work in solo and group exhibitions in his native Mexico since 2003. Cesar's work tends to fall in a few distinct streams.
Painting
Cesar's paintings inhabit a surreal world where fantasy and reality mix, lit up by a rich sense of colour and depth. People and natural subjects are both examined, with an overarching theme of linking human nature to its environment, often through social and political themes. Street life in Mexico City is a frequent subject of his work.
Mural en "casa de colores" Guanajuato, Mèxico (2016)Organic SculptureFor about the last 15 years, Cesar has been developing a body of animal sculptures crafted from plants, fruits, seeds and dry organic materials that he collects from all over Mexico and other parts of the world. He's collected materials from forests, beaches, and parks in Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Estado de Mexico, Mexico City, Guanajuato, and Veracruz, among other locales.
From them, he crafts insects, birds, reptiles, fish, and even fanciful beasts like dragons that have a lifelike, organic flow and sense of movement. They're quite remarkable. His own goal is to explore the consciousness of the natural world.
Dibujo lUz
This series explores the stark contrasts of day and night, black and white in drawings that fuse plastic, paint, and electric light. In daylight, the images appear black and white. At night, the colours emerge.
Energia - pintura acrilica, sobre plastico y lampara (2012)Artisan WorkFrom the whimsical to the practical, Cesar takes his love of natural materials and forms to making novelty sculptures - like a singing skeleton music box - lamps, and other decorative objects. As with the more purely artistic work, he links the human and natural worlds through the marriage of form and function.
To add to his talents, Cesar is an accomplished composer and musician. Here's a little of the music you'll find on his Soundcloud channel.
Mû Mbana: A Music Whispered On The Wind
Mû Mbana:
A Music Whispered On The Wind
• Connect on Facebook
• Check out his releases at WhatAbout Music
When Westerners think of "African music" and West African music in particular, we tend to think of danceable party music - and there is plenty of that in existence. Artists like Mû Mbana, however, offer music that is more contemplative, trance-like as it builds layers of intensity.
One of the perks of working with/for a music festival is getting to know some of the artists and their music a little better than I would as an audience member alone. The Hamilton World Music Festival is how I came to know Mû.
Born in Guinea-Bissau, he traces his passion for music back to the age of three, when he first remembers dancing to the music on the radio. After stints working as a singer-songwriter in Portugal and Spain, including a jazz-fusion trio and a gospel group, he began to develop his own style in earnest by about 2001. He's been focusing on his own work as a solo artist since 2008.
His is a music that lies close to its roots, music that arises on the wind, and is whispered through the leaves and back down to the earth.
While his songs and compositions are definitely connected to his own roots, he's always been open to collaborations in virtually any genre.
At the Hamilton World Music Festival, he easily collaborated with a Canadian roots/folk/country band, an Irish harpist, and others, and charmed them all with the sincerity of both his music and his personality.
Here, he plays with Waleed Abdulhamid, a Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist originally from Sudan.
His compositions begin with a beat; like a heartbeat, they begin the life of the song, which then takes hold of his voice, eventually weaving itself into more complex rhythms and counter melodies. His voice ranges from an expressive baritone to a soft tenor that sings, sighs, speaks his poetry, and even laughs sometimes.
He plays simbi, bensuni, and various percussion instruments which are attached to his ankles, allowing him to play, sing, and add complex rhythms simultaneously. Mû's music has an intense focus, and that's what translates into the mesmerizing sounds he makes.
It was his first time in North America. Here's hoping he will put us on his tour list for good.
A Music Whispered On The Wind
• Connect on Facebook
• Check out his releases at WhatAbout Music
When Westerners think of "African music" and West African music in particular, we tend to think of danceable party music - and there is plenty of that in existence. Artists like Mû Mbana, however, offer music that is more contemplative, trance-like as it builds layers of intensity.
One of the perks of working with/for a music festival is getting to know some of the artists and their music a little better than I would as an audience member alone. The Hamilton World Music Festival is how I came to know Mû.
Born in Guinea-Bissau, he traces his passion for music back to the age of three, when he first remembers dancing to the music on the radio. After stints working as a singer-songwriter in Portugal and Spain, including a jazz-fusion trio and a gospel group, he began to develop his own style in earnest by about 2001. He's been focusing on his own work as a solo artist since 2008.
His is a music that lies close to its roots, music that arises on the wind, and is whispered through the leaves and back down to the earth.While his songs and compositions are definitely connected to his own roots, he's always been open to collaborations in virtually any genre.
At the Hamilton World Music Festival, he easily collaborated with a Canadian roots/folk/country band, an Irish harpist, and others, and charmed them all with the sincerity of both his music and his personality.
Here, he plays with Waleed Abdulhamid, a Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist originally from Sudan.
His compositions begin with a beat; like a heartbeat, they begin the life of the song, which then takes hold of his voice, eventually weaving itself into more complex rhythms and counter melodies. His voice ranges from an expressive baritone to a soft tenor that sings, sighs, speaks his poetry, and even laughs sometimes.
He plays simbi, bensuni, and various percussion instruments which are attached to his ankles, allowing him to play, sing, and add complex rhythms simultaneously. Mû's music has an intense focus, and that's what translates into the mesmerizing sounds he makes.
It was his first time in North America. Here's hoping he will put us on his tour list for good.
Artist & Master Printer: Agustin Rolando Rojas
Artist & Master Printer:
Agustin Rolando RojasAgustin Rolando Rojas is an artist and printmaker. Born and educated in Havana, Cuba, he now makes Toronto his home.
"Cuanto tiempo espere para abrazarte" from the HUGS series, a drypoint selected by the jury of The Bucharest International Print Biennial, November 2016.Agustin studied Fine Art Printmaking at Instituto Superior de Arte, Cuba, and prior to that, graduated from the Higher Art Institute of Havana, Cuba (where he has also taught printmaking,) and Friends Select School. In 1997, Agustin won an Artist Residency at the Banff Center for the Arts in Calgary and came to Canada. After stints in both Canada and the U.S.A, he settled back in Toronto, Canada since 2007.
"Zona del Refugio", etching, selected by Ourense International Print Biennial 1994.
His earlier works from about the mid-1990s are largely representational and realistic. In 1995, Agustín received the Prize Pilar & Joan Miro & Sothebys Foundation for Techniques and Development of Creative Projects with a series of six etchings which had been exhibited previously at The Fifth Biennial of Havana in 1994.
"Balca cerca de la costa", one of the prints that received a Prize Pilar & Joan Miro & Sothebys Foundation for Techniques and Development of Creative Projects in 1995.
Newer pieces are more abstracted or expressionistic. His work is evocative, with a lovely sense of texture, and engaging compositions that draws on the viewers emotions.
Etching and drypoint, printed with special handmade Japanese papers - selected by the jury at The 6th Douro International Print Biennial 2012.
Augustin's work has been shown in solo exhibitions all over the world, including the Fyns Grafiske printmaking studio in Odense, Denmark, Banff Center for the Arts, Alberta, Canada, and Stuyvesant Fine Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York. He's also shown extensively in collective exhibitions from Japan to Serbia to Miami and back.
Etching and drypoint, printed with special handmade Japanese papers - selected by the jury at The 6th Douro International Print Biennial 2012.Along with his own work, gallery and exhibition submissions, he teaches and conduct Intaglios workshops both privately and publicly. Augustin's works are part of the collections at the National Fine Art Museum of Havana, Wolfgang Shreiner, the Private Collection of the Ludwig Foundation, Lowe Art Museum, Cuban American Permanent Collection and others.
Etching by Agustin Rolando Rojas
Agustin Rolando RojasAgustin Rolando Rojas is an artist and printmaker. Born and educated in Havana, Cuba, he now makes Toronto his home.
"Cuanto tiempo espere para abrazarte" from the HUGS series, a drypoint selected by the jury of The Bucharest International Print Biennial, November 2016.Agustin studied Fine Art Printmaking at Instituto Superior de Arte, Cuba, and prior to that, graduated from the Higher Art Institute of Havana, Cuba (where he has also taught printmaking,) and Friends Select School. In 1997, Agustin won an Artist Residency at the Banff Center for the Arts in Calgary and came to Canada. After stints in both Canada and the U.S.A, he settled back in Toronto, Canada since 2007.
"Zona del Refugio", etching, selected by Ourense International Print Biennial 1994.His earlier works from about the mid-1990s are largely representational and realistic. In 1995, Agustín received the Prize Pilar & Joan Miro & Sothebys Foundation for Techniques and Development of Creative Projects with a series of six etchings which had been exhibited previously at The Fifth Biennial of Havana in 1994.
"Balca cerca de la costa", one of the prints that received a Prize Pilar & Joan Miro & Sothebys Foundation for Techniques and Development of Creative Projects in 1995.Newer pieces are more abstracted or expressionistic. His work is evocative, with a lovely sense of texture, and engaging compositions that draws on the viewers emotions.
Etching and drypoint, printed with special handmade Japanese papers - selected by the jury at The 6th Douro International Print Biennial 2012.Augustin's work has been shown in solo exhibitions all over the world, including the Fyns Grafiske printmaking studio in Odense, Denmark, Banff Center for the Arts, Alberta, Canada, and Stuyvesant Fine Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York. He's also shown extensively in collective exhibitions from Japan to Serbia to Miami and back.
Etching and drypoint, printed with special handmade Japanese papers - selected by the jury at The 6th Douro International Print Biennial 2012.Along with his own work, gallery and exhibition submissions, he teaches and conduct Intaglios workshops both privately and publicly. Augustin's works are part of the collections at the National Fine Art Museum of Havana, Wolfgang Shreiner, the Private Collection of the Ludwig Foundation, Lowe Art Museum, Cuban American Permanent Collection and others.
Etching by Agustin Rolando Rojas
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