Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven, page 97

EstroGenius Spring 2016 Short Play Program March 26 & 27

From a media release:

Manhattan Theatre Source:
EstroGenius Spring 2016
Short Play Program
Saturday March 26th @ 3pm & 8pm
Sunday March 27th @ 2pm & 8pm

• Tickets
• Discount code ESTRO2016 

NEW YORK CITY - Manhattan Theatre Source’s EstroGenius Festival, an annual celebration of female voices, is one of New York City’s largest women’s arts festivals. Estrogenius Spring 2016 has been taking place this month and there's still time to catch the final weekend of short plays.

The longest running series in the EstroGenius Festival, the showcase of Short Plays is second to none, featuring a wide variety of performances from a collection of established and some of the newest up-and-coming talent in New York City.

This year the Short Plays are specific requests to playwrights by our trusted and talented producer Deb Long. If you've attended before, you may recognize some of your favorite playwrights from years’ past and find some new favorites for the future!

Talented and trusted producer, Deb Long, has assembled a program of 6 short plays that will make you laugh and cry and thoroughly enjoy yourself.

Guess Who's Coming to Brunch?Heart of StoneHijabLa PropositionTough LoveWaffles
Venue:
East 4th Street Theater
83 East 4th Street, between Bowery and Second Avenue - East Village
New York, NY 10008
6 Train to Astor or Bleecker Streets, D or F Train to Second Avenue

Improvisational Jazz: Free Concerts at Harvard U April 7 & 8 2016 feat. Wadada Leo Smith & Others

From a media release:

Creative Music Convergences:
Improvisation, Creativity Highlight Fromm Players Concerts
April 7 & 8, 2016 at Harvard University

Two evenings of concerts by composer/performers including Wadada Leo Smith, Vijay Iyer, Steve Lehman Octet, Tyshawn Sorey Double Trio, more

• Buy the CD A cosmic rhythm with every stroke on Amazon

Wadada Leo Smith by Scott GrollerCAMBRIDGE, MA: On Thursday, April 7 and Friday, April 8, the Fromm Concerts at Harvard assemble some of the finest musicians in creative music for a series of free concerts, "Creative Music Convergences," in John Knowles Paine Concert Hall on the Harvard University campus.

The Thursday lineup features 7:30 pm performances by Wadada Leo Smith and Vijay Iyer (whose album A cosmic rhythm with every stroke releases March 25) and Nicole Mitchell with Tomeka Reid and Mike Reed. At 9:00pm Okkyung Lee and the Steve Lehman Octet take the stage.

On Friday at 7:30 pm, hear Craig Taborn and Wadada Leo Smith with Ikue Mori. The 9:00 show features Courtney Bryan and the Tyshawn Sorey Double Trio.



"These are musicians who just go up there and create," says Franklin D. and Florence Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts Vijay Iyer, who curated the 2016 Fromm concerts. "Every night is different, every time is different, and each has its own integrity and power. Improvisation really builds something. It's not contra to composition; it's another way of putting music together."

The musicians in this year's Fromm concerts span generations, geography, and style. What they share is that they are part of the creative music community.

Vijay Iyer by Jimmy Katz"What we call creative music, experimental music that involves improvisation, has an astonishingly diverse range of expression," says Iyer. "Tyshawn Sorey plays the Village Vanguard but studied with Stockhausen; Steve Lehman is one of the transforming figures of 21st century jazz; Ikue Mori plays solo cello with a rock band [the legendary DNA], Craig Taborn is the most admired keyboardist of my generation.

"They're all here," says Iyer, "because they're innovative and unique."

All four concerts are free and open to the public. No tickets are required; first come, first seated. Free parking is available at the Broadway Garage, corner of Felton and Broadway Streets in Cambridge (a five minute walk from Paine Hall). Paine Hall is located directly behind the Science Center at 3 Oxford Street; the Hall is wheelchair accessible.

http://music.fas.harvard.edu  | 617-495-2791  |  musicdpt@fas.harvard.edu

12th Vienna Blues Spring Festival March 20 - April 30 2016

From a media release:

12th Vienna Blues Spring Festival
March 20 - April 30, 2016

• Check out the program


Going to be in or around Vienna over the next six weeks or so? You're probably thinking "opera" - but Vienna has the blues too, with the world’s longest-running blues festival coming up. Hundreds of musicians fill various venues across Vienna with all variations of the genre during Vienna Blues Spring from 20 March to 30 April.

There’s classic Delta and Chicago blues, rock and soul blues, as well as boogie, interpreted by international stars and the best of the Viennese scene.

The opening gala will be held on 20 March at the Theater Akzent, with the Mojo Blues Band taking over the reins for “A Soulful Journey from New Orleans to Chicago”.

Most of the concerts are held at the Reigen. They include Louisiana Bluesman Larry Garner (pictured; Mar 22), the Rob Togoni Trio (Mar 25), Natascha Flamisch (April 1) and local blues giant Norbert Schneider (April 8) who is honoring Vienna Blues Spring with his presence once again. Conny Lush (April 13) and Ian Siegal are traveling over from Great Britain, with the latter joining up to perform with American Jimbo Mathus (April 25). Ryan McGarvey, born in the US state of New Mexico, plays great guitar and is currently winning massive acclaim (April 30).

Larry Garner - photo by Dietmar HoscherMartin Pyrker and Joachim Palden are inviting guests to a “Boogie Night on 2 Bösendorfers” at the Radio Kulturhaus: Sabine Pyrker provides the rhythms, Betty Semper the vocals, with Tom Müller on the saxophone (April 27).

Other gigs will be held at the House of Music where Hermann Posch and guests will play.  He is a poster child of the domestic scene, whose slide play on the guitar is considered excellent.

This is how the blues feeling is created in the midst of springtime in Vienna.



While you're there...

House of Music (Haus der Musik)
The Sound Museum
Seilerstätte 30 , 1010 Wien
+43 1 513 48 50 - info@hdm.at
Haus der Musik is an interactive sound museum which provides a new approach to music on a playful as well as scientific level. For the last 15 year the aim has been to provide knowledge and understanding as well as open-mindedness and enthusiasm when dealing with music. Since its opening in 2000, Haus der Musik has welcomed over 2,7 million visitors.

Schönbrunn Palace by Arian WegerHotel Picks:

Hotel Viktoria
Address: Eduard-Klein-Gasse 9, 1130 Wien, Austria
Phone:+43 1 8771150
This well-reviewed 3-star hotel is in a convenient location close to the venues and a mere 3-minute walk from Hietzing U-bahn station. The family-run hotel is also 11 minutes on foot from Tiergarten Schönbrunn (zoo) and 1 km from Schloss Schönbrunn (castle).

Parkhotel Schönbrunn 
Address: Hietzinger Hauptstraße 10-16, 1130 Wien, Austria
Phone:+43 1 87804
If you're in the mood and have the budget for a treat, this 4-star hotel boasts charmingly ornate architecture and a palatial ambience. Just a 10-minute walk from the 18th-century Schönbrunn Palace, the hotel dates from 1907 and is only 6 km from the Vienna State Opera and 10 km from St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

Sydney Ellis is the special guest vocalist for opening night

Toronto City Council Limits Afrofest to One Day - UPDATE: Decision Reversed

Power to the People!
Afrofest Update:
Two Day Festival Back for July 9-10 2016

TORONTO (March 24, 2016) After an online campaign gained steam (see the original story below) and created a huge buzz in favour of the 27-year old festival, Toronto City Hall has reversed its decision and given Afrofest a two-day permit for Woodbine Park after all.

As reported in the CBC, the festival's fans took to the web en masse to protest the unfair treatment of the festival. Here's my take on this:
Afrofest uses the same sound company that the other big festivals at Woodbine use - same techs, same equipment. It's hard to see how they could be so out of line with everyone else.I'd like to know how many complaints were lodged against the other festivals at Woodbine. Were they all entirely complaint-free? Why is this the only festival that seems to have this issue with the city?I'll also note that, just after City Hall moved to limit Afrofest to one day, there was a big splashy announcement of Bestival - a rock festival taking place at Woodbine Park in early September and headlining The Cure, surely guaranteed to be a peaceful, quiet affair...
As the CBC story notes, part of the outrage - mine included - was the condescending tone taken by Coun. Mary-Margaret McMahon who suggested publicly that the organizers needed to "behave". What kind of language is that?? And what sort of tone is that to take with any of your constituents - let alone one that has been contributing to community life for so long and obviously enjoys widespread support? These are citizens she's talking about; the people who elect these officials.

Meetings apparently went all the way to Mayor John Tory. Afrofest is set for July 9-10 and is expected to bring 120,000 people to Woodbine Park throughout the weekend.



From a media release:

Toronto City Council Limits Afrofest to One Day



Toronto, Ontario – March 16, 2016 - The City of Toronto has limited Afrofest at Woodbine Park down to a one day event from its traditional two day (Saturday-Sunday) format. This move will not only make it difficult to organize a viable festival but also hinder its growth and community impact. The reasons given are that permissible sound levels and permitted time frames were exceeded in previous festivals. Afrofest organizers maintain that these allegations are inaccurate.

Afrofest started in 1989 and is the largest annual African music festival in North America. The festival, which draws a crowd of up to 60,000 daily, has become an extremely important African celebration locally and internationally. Peter Toh, President of Music Africa, the organizers of Afrofest, called the decision completely unfair and discriminatory.

Thomas Mapfumo - Afrofest 2011:


“The sound company we employ works with most of the events at Woodbine Park, including Canada Day and Beaches Jazz festival concerts, and use the same sound equipment, crew and sound levels. The volume at Afrofest is no different than at those events but in our case they are being called violations.” Toh also added that the City had agreed, in writing, six months prior to Afrofest 2015 to allow it run later in order to accommodate a ceremony for the Pan Am Games, then just two weeks before the changed the permit conditions. “There seems to be no understanding of the contractual obligations we had, both to accommodating the Pan Am Torch Relay and to the headline act that followed”.

Alpha Blondy - Afrofest 2013:


“Music Africa is always willing to work constructively with City of Toronto officials but it seems that while they wish us well, they in fact set conditions to jeopardize success. This seems in complete contradiction to Toronto’s official “Music City” initiatives”, Toh adds.

Music Africa is calling on all the supporters of Afrofest to write, phone or email the City Councillor, Mary Margaret McMahon (councillor_mcmahon@toronto.ca, 416-392-1376) and the Mayor John Tory (mayor_tory@toronto.ca, 416-397-2489) to express your concerns about their decision.

Petition for support: Maintain two day festival format
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/say-no-to-1-day-event-or-friday-to-saturday-dates

Afrofest 2015:

Toronto City Council Limits Afrofest to One Day

From a media release:

Toronto City Council Limits Afrofest to One Day



Toronto, Ontario – March 16, 2016 - The City of Toronto has limited Afrofest at Woodbine Park down to a one day event from its traditional two day (Saturday-Sunday) format. This move will not only make it difficult to organize a viable festival but also hinder its growth and community impact. The reasons given are that permissible sound levels and permitted time frames were exceeded in previous festivals. Afrofest organizers maintain that these allegations are inaccurate.

Afrofest started in 1989 and is the largest annual African music festival in North America. The festival, which draws a crowd of up to 60,000 daily, has become an extremely important African celebration locally and internationally. Peter Toh, President of Music Africa, the organizers of Afrofest, called the decision completely unfair and discriminatory.

Thomas Mapfumo - Afrofest 2011:


“The sound company we employ works with most of the events at Woodbine Park, including Canada Day and Beaches Jazz festival concerts, and use the same sound equipment, crew and sound levels. The volume at Afrofest is no different than at those events but in our case they are being called violations.” Toh also added that the City had agreed, in writing, six months prior to Afrofest 2015 to allow it run later in order to accommodate a ceremony for the Pan Am Games, then just two weeks before the changed the permit conditions. “There seems to be no understanding of the contractual obligations we had, both to accommodating the Pan Am Torch Relay and to the headline act that followed”.

Alpha Blondy - Afrofest 2013:


“Music Africa is always willing to work constructively with City of Toronto officials but it seems that while they wish us well, they in fact set conditions to jeopardize success. This seems in complete contradiction to Toronto’s official “Music City” initiatives”, Toh adds.

Music Africa is calling on all the supporters of Afrofest to write, phone or email the City Councillor, Mary Margaret McMahon (councillor_mcmahon@toronto.ca, 416-392-1376) and the Mayor John Tory (mayor_tory@toronto.ca, 416-397-2489) to express your concerns about their decision.

Petition for support: Maintain two day festival format
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/say-no-to-1-day-event-or-friday-to-saturday-dates

Afrofest 2015:

Alt-Rock: The Soles New Release: Sand In The Sun Release Party April 8 2016 in Toronto

From a media release:

The Soles
New Release: Sand In The Sun
Release Party April 8 2016 
The Cadillac Lounge - Toronto

• Buy the Album Sand In The Sun

TORONTO - Local Toronto rockers The Soles release their much anticipated new record titled ‘Sand In The Sun’ Friday April 8th at the Cadillac Lounge, 1296 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario.

‘Sand In The Sun’ has been in the works for the last 2 years. Band members Din, Adam Gomori, Austin Gembora & Trevor Friday wanted to get the songs & sound right. Working alongside longtime collaborators Ron Skinner & Marc Merilainen (Nadjiwan) the efforts from this talented combo has finally been realized. The Soles have worked tirelessly making this project a reality. The band defies pigeonholing with their eclectic sound & vision.

The Soles perform at the Cadillac Lounge Friday April 8th along with opening acts The Train Electric and Thunderfunk. Documentary filmmaker Sheldon Norton will be debuting the video ‘RFR’ featuring The Soles. The first act starts at 9PM!

Here’s what others are already saying about The Soles – ‘Sand In The Sun’:

With melodic sensibility, driven by strong grooves and earnest lyrics, The Soles are back! And harkening to the golden age of Can-Rock with hints of early Age of Electric, cementing a fine slab of Alterna-rock to the masses. STEVE KRAUS 6o, CKLU 96.7FM

Find myself singing the Soles’ new track ‘Who You Really Are’. Waiting impatiently for the EP to drop, we need more Soles. CAROL BARRETT, CIUT 89.9FM

Catch The Soles live this Spring/Summer:

April 8, 2016 - Toronto ON, Cadillac Lounge - Sand In The Sun CD Release Party July 2, 2016 - Sudbury ON, SpeakeasyJuly 3, 2016 - Owen Sound ON, TD Harbour Nights Concert SeriesJuly 29, 2016 - Paris ON, Skylight FestivalJuly 30, 2016 - Windsor ON, Phog Lounge More dates to be announced soon!
Check out the album:

Sand In The Sun by The Soles

Nollywood & More: News from Composer Rotem Hecht March 2016

Nollywood & More:
News from Composer Rotem Hecht
March 2016

MIAMI - Rotem Hecht is a composer, arranger, music producer, sound editor and more - he's involved with anything to do with creating music, sound design composition and recording. You can find out more about his background in an earlier post.

He's got an extensive portfolio of work in TV, film and the video gaming industry you can check out here and he's got a couple of new projects he's told me about.

“Beyond Blood" - A new feature movie from the Nollywood machine (aka the Nigerian movie industry). The movie was produced and direct by  Greg Odutayo and has been playing in Nigerian theatres for about two months. Rotem wrote the original score for the movie and trailer.



“Live for the moment and discover the world with Trafalgar" - Rotem composed the original music for this short promotional video for Trafalgar Travel.

See kids? You really can get a job writing music.

Small World Music Presents: The 14th Annual Asian Music Series April 2 to May 29 2016 in Toronto

From a media release:

Small World Music Presents:
THE 14th ANNUAL ASIAN MUSIC SERIES – APRIL 2nd - MAY 29th 2016

– Embracing The Scope of Music From Across The Asian Cultural Landscape
 + ANNOUNCING The Small World Music EXPLORERS Program
– New Initiative is Adventurous Concertgoers’ Dream Ticket

TORONTO – FRIDAY, MARCH 4TH, 2016 – From April 2nd - May 29th 2016, Small World Music proudly presents The 14th Annual Asian Music Series, which celebrates Asian and South Asian Heritage Month.

Supported by TD Bank, the series engages communities around the GTA to celebrate their heritage. Partnering with the finest presenters across the region, from Koerner Hall to the Aga Khan Museum, Roy Thomson Hall to the Markham Theatre, the program will showcase the finest sounds on the best stages.

Highlights this year include a strong female presence, with two of the most significant artists in South Asian music – Deutsche Grammophon recording artist Anoushka Shankar and Abida Parveen – performing, as well as Indo-Canadian star Kiran Ahluwalia, pipa maestro Wu Man and singer Ramneek Singh, among many others. Also announced is the new Small World Music EXPLORERS Program, which is a way for audiences to access the entire Asian Music Series through the Small World ticket hub. Concertgoers will benefit from Small World’s unique position at the heart of the global music scene, working hand in hand in with communities and venue partners.

• Stay tuned at Small World Music

A global music tastemaker for two decades, Small World showcases the best Asian Music in the GTA, and along with presenting partners, they gather the finest artists to appear on Toronto’s premier stages.

This year, audiences can also discover new sounds through Small World Music EXPLORERS Program, an enterprising, cross-promotional initiative for purchasing hot tickets in the city.

All roads lead to Small World Music with the easy, online, one-stop-shop box office for live music appreciators who know what they like, but are also open to new, exciting musical experiences. Small World is the main intersection where curated content of various bundle packages – which will also include other items, such as restaurant coupons, or local business vouchers – are offered at a discounted price.

Wu ManAsian Music Series at a Glance: 

Wednesday, April 6 – Anoushka Shankar (India) – Koerner Hall
Thursday, April 7 – Tsumugu (Japan) – Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre
Saturday, April 9 – Wu Man & Shanghai Quartet (China) – Markham Theatre
Thursday, April 28 – Kiran Ahluwalia (India / Canada) – Markham Theatre
Friday, April 29 – Shuujat Khan / Ramneek Singh (India / Canada) – Aga Khan Museum
Saturday, May 7 – Globtrotter - Adham Shaikh (Canada) – Round
Friday, May 13 – Tabla Workshop TBA (India) – Small World Music Centre
Sunday, May 15 – Abida Parveen (Pakistan) – Roy Thomson Hall
Friday, May 20 – Avatar (Canada /India) – Small World Music Centre
Saturday, May 28 – Telematic Asia (Canada / China) – Small World Music Centre
Sunday, May 29 – Mekaal & Haniya (Pakistan / Canada) – Lula Lounge

Travel Industry News: The MTS Globe Group expands into Mexico, Croatia and United Arab Emirates

From a media release:

Travel Industry News:
The MTS Globe Group expands into Mexico, Croatia and United Arab Emirates

MTS Cape VerdeMallorca (España) March 4 2016 - The MTS Globe Group, a leading Destination Management and Hotel Trading company in Europe, announces the opening of 3 new offices in Mexico, Croatia and United Arab Emirates (UAE). The MTS Globe Group currently operates out of 65 destination offices in 15 countries.

According to Rembert Euling, CEO of the MTS Globe Group, the opening of offices in these 3 new destinations fits perfectly into the group's growth and expansion plan which is based on creating sustainable and innovative relationships with its partners, clients and suppliers.

Bernd Kienle, General Manager for Mexico & Caribbean and responsible for the office in Cancun, points out that the main focus is on Cancun and the Riviera Maya. “This is a perfect sun and beach destination to integrate into our business model, using our full range of products and services: transfers, rental cars, accommodation, excursions and tour guide services” says Kienle.

MTS Croatia“Furthermore, Cancun and the Riviera Maya have the biggest volume of European tourists in Mexico: 1.25 million. This is a major plus, as we have had a solid presence in the European source markets for decades” Bernd Kienle adds.

To help with the opening of the office in Dubai, UAE, the MTS Globe Group has partnered with Desert Gate. With CEO Samir Tabbah leading the company, Desert Gate has proven that they are a very experienced team who understand the needs of the group's clients and the challenges they face.

Samir Tabbah explains, “UAE is an excellent destination with great connections, so many of our clients were already selling it with other suppliers. It was important for us that we could also deliver this destination.”

“Despite being a new partner for many hotels, the hoteliers understood immediately the MTS Globe Group potential and many offered exclusive launch deals. The group's network has not disappointed and sales volumes have grown every day” says Tabbah.

MTS MexicoFrom the new Croatian office, Managing Director Stanko Ljubic highlights that Croatia has emerged as a primary choice for many holidaymakers: “Given the ever increasing popularity of Croatia, plus demand from our clients, it was a perfect choice for expanding our portfolio”.

Ljubic adds. “Our experienced team involved in this project have, for many years, worked with some of the largest tour- operators throughout Europe and are very excited and proud to be part of the MTS Globe Group.We have worked tirelessly to ensure a successful launch of the Croatian product”.

About the MTS Globe Group: 
MTS Globe is the biggest privately owned incoming company in Europe. Since its foundation in 1968, MTS Globe has built up a strong market presence in 24 source markets in Europe and North America. It serves over 4 million clients with 35 million overnights per year in 12,000 hotels.250 customers have chosen MTS Globe as their preferred destination partner. Its core business is to support tour operators offering customized high-quality destination services which are then packaged and marketed by MTS Globe customers.

Free MP3 Download: Tokira (Single) by Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate

From a media release:

Free MP3 Download:
Tokira (Single)
by Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate

• Here's the Link



Joe Driscoll has gained fame over the last decade for his unique blend of folk, funk and hip-hop. Sekou Kouyate, from Guinea, is one of the most innovative and virtuosic players of the kora, the 21-stringed West African harp. When these two seemingly disparate artistic forces are combined, an incendiary musical reaction takes place. They first first met in 2010 at a festival in Marseille, France and their explosive combustibility was evident in their jaw-dropping live shows and energizing debut album, Faya, which was released by Cumbancha Discovery in 2014. Performing as a quartet, backed by drums and bass, Joe & Sekou have performed at hundreds of festivals and venues across Europe, North America and Africa, earning ecstatic reviews whenever they set foot on stage.

Set for release by Cumbancha on May 13, 2016, Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate’s electrifying second album, Monistic Theory, derives its title from the concept that reality is a unified whole and that all existing things can be ascribed to or described by a single concept or system. It's an apt philosophy for this boundary-crossing collaboration, one that brings together two musicians from vastly different backgrounds in search of the commonalities that are uniquely revealed by artistic expression.

The UK daily The Guardian recently raved, "African, funk and rap influences combine in an energetic performance. They have developed into a tight, attacking unit, in which the virtuoso kora work is integrated into sturdy playing from the band. Exuberant virtuosic fusion.” Songlines Magazine calls the group, "A boundary-trampling high-octane hybrid in which the lightning fast electrified licks of Kouyate are matched by the explosive energy of Driscoll's rapid fire rhyming.”

Tokira (Single) by Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate