Buena Vista Social Club

Eliades Ochos, lead singer and guitarist of the Buena Vista Social Club plays in Tunisia at the Tabarka International Jazz Festival in the summer of 2004.

The Buena Vista Social Club was a members club in Havana, Cuba that held dances and musical activities, becoming a popular location for musicians to meet and play during the 1940s. In the 1990s, nearly 50 years after the club was closed, it inspired a recording made by Cuban musician Juan de Marcos González and American guitarist Ry Cooder with traditional Cuban musicians, some of whom were veterans who had performed at the club during the height of its popularity.

The recording, named Buena Vista Social Club after the Havana institution, became an international success, and the ensemble was encouraged to perform with a full line-up in Amsterdam in 1998. German director Wim Wenders captured the performance on film, followed by a second concert in Carnegie Hall, New York City for a documentary that included interviews with the musicians conducted in Havana. Wenders's film, also called Buena Vista Social Club, was released to critical acclaim, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary feature and winning numerous accolades including Best Documentary at the European Film Awards.

The success of both the album and film sparked a revival of international interest in traditional Cuban music and Latin American music in general. Some of the Cuban performers later released well-received solo albums and recorded collaborations with international stars from different musical genres.

The "Buena Vista Social Club" name became an umbrella term to describe these performances and releases, and has been likened to a brand label that encapsulates Cuba's "musical golden age" between the 1930s and 1950s.

The new success was fleeting for the most recognizable artists in the ensemble: Compay Segundo, Rubén González, and Ibrahim Ferrer, who died at the ages of ninety-five, eighty-four, and seventy-eight respectively; Segundo and González in 2003, then Ferrer in 2005.

video: Stephen Smith
http://www.mycompass.ca
http://twitter.com/mycompasstv
http://mycompasstravel.blogspot.com/

Sweet Sugar Cane - Rockit 88 Band

Rockit 88 Band recorded on July 25, 2010 at the Beaches International Jazz Festival. The song "Sweet Sugar Cane" is written and composed by band leader Bill King from their new album of the same title.

King describes: When I started writing for this album I was thinking the blues - then the words began to dictate a broader picture. I can't escape my roots the music that played in the background of my youth. Redd Stewart and Pee Wee King were the music icons of Louisville, Kentucky. Together they penned the greatest song of all 'Tennessee Waltz.' To this day the melody clings to the bones like the best travel companion on earth. I write, I sing and play according to the rhythms and harmonies of a land once unspoiled by strip malls and fast food outlets - the South! 'You can smell the sweet grass burn while the raven sings his southland song.'

'Sweet Sugar Cane' evolved from my many excursions to Barbados over the years and the long drives in the countryside where the sweet smell of cane cooling under a long day under the blistering sun overwhelms the senses. I remember reading Austin Clarke's 'The Polished Hoe' and the poetic descriptions of life in and around the cane fields. It's back breaking work yet the fields are refuge for lovers lost in passion who hide away at night amongst the broad stalks and slicing leaves. These fields existed in greater numbers in the southern states before sugar farming was outsourced. Florida still has the same vibe going for it.

Guitarist Neil Chapman and drummer Jim Casson and I came together to basically play a bit of the blues and see where all of this would lead. Once funding was in place it became clear an opportunity to write new music free of cover songs or common pop expectations presented itself. Neil and I went our separate ways and spent a couple months writing and re-writing. At each rehearsal a new song or songs were played until a unifying sound presented itself.

Through this decade Neil and I have recorded three Saturday Nite Fish Fry albums and now two Rockit 88 sides. It's always about the blues yet a few miles in a variety of directions a place where country and southern rock intersect.

Bill King - 7 Arts Entertainment

Buy music @reverbnation

Bill King piano/vocal/composer
Neil Chapman - guitar
Stacey Bulmer - vocals
Jay Speziale - bass/vocals
Anne Lindsay violin

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Folks in Louisiana holding their breath

Just returned from Louisiana where I spent time talking to folks around St. Tammany Parish. Life isn't easy here especially now. Faced with arduous hardships and many a hurricane that have left a path of destruction, these people for the most part, have a strong resilience toward disasters and seem to dust themselves off each time they face one.

Read my story in the Philadelphia Inquirer on how they are now holding their breath over the BP oil spill.

How to avoid a holiday from hell

Don't we all hate holidays from hell? A leading financial publication recently interviewed me on this important topic. Find out what I said.

Read more

What's the future of Louisiana's shrimping and tourism industries?

Darren Frickey, a fifth-generation shrimper, has been out all night fishing and is now preparing for his umpteenth shrimping mission before things get real bad. Thing is he says, scooping up a handful of medium brown shrimps known as “golden boys,” this year’s yield has never been better.

“There’s so much shrimp out in those waters. I was real busy before the oil spill hit the Gulf. Now we’re trying to catch as much shrimp as we can before the oil comes,” he explains aboard his boat, the Halania Juna, docked at the Rigolets Marina about the shrimp surge in Lake Borgne.

The big question is how long will the shrimping last?

Folks along Louisiana’s Northshore in St. Tammany Parish are nervous. A 45-minute drive north from New Orleans along the Causeway Bridge, this largely bedroom community of the Big Easy ain’t so easy these days with the imminent threat of oil spilling into Lake Pontchartrain, the US’s second largest saltwater lake.

Read more

French Dirt

Bestselling author Peter Mayle's book A Year in Provence, about a man's quest to grow a garden in a small French village, spawned a movement of urbanites who fled to the countryside in search of a simpler rural lifestyle. Now the French Tourism Office makes it easy for visitors to connect with their inner Mayle.

Read more

Why tourism matters in LA more than ever

These days there’s no getting around talking about the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Mention Louisiana and you’re most likely to envision oil and gooey black tar balls making their way up the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge.

Well I can tell you it ain’t so. I just returned a few days ago from Shreveport, LA and St. Tammany Parish and the folks down there want your clients to visit.

Tourism is a big industry here, and right now this state is desperate to keep its local economies afloat.

Read more

Robben Island, South Africa

Patrick Matanjana talks of Nelson Mandela and the inspiration he gave to fellow prisoners. At the age of 18 Matanjana was imprisoned on Robben Island. He spent 20 years in the cell next to Mandela. Interview by Ilona Kauremszky.

video: Stephen Smith
www.mycompass.ca

Basket weavers unite

A demonstration of 18th century traditional Acadian basket making done by historical interpreter craftswomen at Fortress Louisbourg in Nova Scotia. The weaving technique was adapted from Brittany France.

Ciarán MacGillvray at Fortress Louisbourg

May 27, 2010 — Musician and actor Ciaran MacGillvray performs at Fortress Louisbourg in Cape Breton Nova Scotia.

mycompass.ca
video: Stephen Smith

The French came to Louisbourg in 1713, after ceding Acadia and Newfoundland to the British by the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession. France's only remaining possessions in what is now Atlantic Canada were the islands of Cape Breton and Prince Edward, which were then called Isle Royale and Isle Saint-Jean. The French used these islands as a base to continue the lucrative cod fishery off the Grand Banks. In 1719 they began to construct at Louisbourg a fortified town which was only completed on the eve of the first siege in 1745. The town and settlement along the harbour shore soon became a thriving community.

The cod fishery accounted for most of Isle Royale's prosperity. Dried before export, the fish was salted and laid on stages which lined the beaches of Louisbourg and its outports. Louisbourg became a hub of commerce, trading in manufactured goods and various materials imported from France, Quebec, the West Indies and New England.

One might think that the fortress would be prepared for any onslaught. Yet, while the harbour was well defended, the main landward defences were commanded by a series of low hills, some dangerously close to the fortifications. All provided excellent locations for siege batteries.

The first attack came in 1745 following a declaration of war between Britain and France. Charged with the fervour of a religious crusade, and informed that the fortress was in disrepair with its poorly supplied troops on the verge of mutiny, the New Englanders mounted an assault on Louisbourg. Within 46 days of the invasion the fortress was captured. To the chagrin of the New Englanders, only three years later the town was restored to the French by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle . In 1758 Louisbourg was besieged a second time. Without a strong navy to patrol the sea beyond its walls, Louisbourg was impossible to defend. Attacking with 13,100 troops supported by a 14,000 crew on board 150 ships, a British army captured the fortress in seven weeks. Determined that Louisbourg would never again become a fortified French base, the British demolished the fortress walls.

Memories of The Beach

Lorraine O'Donnell Williams reads from her best selling book, MEMORIES OF THE BEACH: Reflections on a Toronto Childhood. Recorded at her book launch on April 28, 2010 at the Beaches Library in Toronto.

mycompasstv
video: Stephen Smith

Groove to Havana's Coco Taxi

Coco Taxis are purpose built three wheel motorcycles with fiberglass covering that are a must do while visiting old Havana.

mycompass.ca
video: Stephen Smith

Healthy and Happy at FITCuba

FITCuba 2010, Cuba’s international travel fair, had some 2,000 reps from 30 countries descend on the biggest Caribbean island last week. Just in time to be a part of the country’s new entry policy requiring all foreign travellers to purchase travel medical insurance.

So what happened?

Read more

mycompass.ca

Think Florida is hot in summer?

We love Florida. Even the Toronto Blue Jays think so. Dunedin Stadium is their home for spring training and it’s stocked with Labbatt’s Blue – that, and hearing the Canadian anthem sung before a game, makes it feel like a bit of Canada along Florida’s coast.

While you might not have Florida on your radar over the summer months the incredible summer discounts and the dollar at par could change that.

Read more

Havana Artists Market

One on One with CTC Prez

So what makes the president and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission tick? Find out in my new column.

Canada on Centre Stage

While most viewers who sat transfixed in front of the TV last February watched the winter Olympic games, it turns out the Canadian Tourism Commission was watching them.

“Our strategy was not to focus on spectators but the 3 billion viewers who watched The Games,” said Michele McKenzie, president and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission.

McKenzie shared insights on the Olympics at a new exciting speaker series for ad execs and media planners hosted by the Institute of Communication Agencies and Ad Women of Toronto, a new group worth checking out for those in sales and marketing.

So how do you get those clients?

Read more

Soprano Sax - Jazz Havana Cuba

Sax solo recorded in Cuba in May 2006 at CASA DEL JAZZ ZORRA Y EL CUERVO CUBAN, in Havana City, Cuba, Calle 23 no. 155.

video: Stephen Smith
mycompass.ca

Buena Vista Social Club in Tabarka

This recording was a concert in Tunisia at the Tabarka International Jazz Festival in the summer of 2004. The lead guitarist is Eliades Ochos.

The Buena Vista Social Club was a members club in Havana, Cuba that held dances and musical activities, becoming a popular location for musicians to meet and play during the 1940s. In the 1990s, nearly 50 years after the club was closed, it inspired a recording made by Cuban musician Juan de Marcos González and American guitarist Ry Cooder with traditional Cuban musicians, some of whom were veterans who had performed at the club during the height of its popularity.

The recording, named Buena Vista Social Club after the Havana institution, became an international success, and the ensemble was encouraged to perform with a full line-up in Amsterdam in 1998. German director Wim Wenders captured the performance on film, followed by a second concert in Carnegie Hall, New York City for a documentary that included interviews with the musicians conducted in Havana. Wenders's film, also called Buena Vista Social Club, was released to critical acclaim, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary feature and winning numerous accolades including Best Documentary at the European Film Awards.

The success of both the album and film sparked a revival of international interest in traditional Cuban music and Latin American music in general. Some of the Cuban performers later released well-received solo albums and recorded collaborations with international stars from different musical genres.

The "Buena Vista Social Club" name became an umbrella term to describe these performances and releases, and has been likened to a brand label that encapsulates Cuba's "musical golden age" between the 1930s and 1950s.

The new success was fleeting for the most recognizable artists in the ensemble: Compay Segundo, Rubén González, and Ibrahim Ferrer, who died at the ages of ninety-five, eighty-four, and seventy-eight respectively; Segundo and González in 2003, then Ferrer in 2005.

video: Stephen Smith
http://www.mycompass.ca

Tabarka International Jazz Festival

Enrico Rava plays the Tabarka International Jazz Festival in the summer of 2004.

Enrico Rava is a prolific jazz trumpeter and arguably one of the best known Italian jazz musician. He originally played trombone, changing to the trumpet after hearing Miles Davis.

His first commercial work was as a member of Gato Barbieri's Italian quintet in the mid-1960s; in the late 1960s he was a member of Steve Lacy's group. In 1967 Rava moved to New York City. He has played with artists such as Carla Bley, Jeanne Lee, Paul Motian, Lee Konitz and Roswell Rudd. Chiefly an exponent of bebop jazz, Enrico Rava has also played successfully in avant-garde settings. His style may partly recall Kenny Wheeler's in its spareness and lightness of tone, albeit Rava's is harmonically simpler.

In the 1970s and 1980's he worked with Pat Metheny, Michel Petrucciani, John Abercrombie, Joe Henderson, Richard Galliano, Miroslav Vitouš, Andrea Centazzo, Joe Lovano, Gil Evans and Cecil Taylor.

With trumpeter Paolo Fresu, Rava recorded a series of four CDs on the influence of Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, and Miles Davis (Bix, Pop, Shades of Chet, Play Miles Davis). Also of note are his recordings Rava, L'Opera Va' and Carmen; his own interpretations of operatic arias and overtures. In 2001, he founded a new quintet with pianist Stefano Bollani, and toured with Gato Barbieri and Aldo Romano. In the trio Europeans he is working with German bass-player Eberhard Weber and Swiss percussionist Reto Weber.

video: Stephen Smith
mycompass.ca
enricorava.com

Bill King plays at Beaches International Jazz Festival

Bob Dylan's 60's anthem Blowin' in the Wind is sung by Bill King the Artistic Director and Founder of the Beaches International Jazz Festival. Recorded in the summer of 2007 with Neil Chapman - guitar, Alex Dean - tenor sax, Mike Soloski - drums, Bobby Brough - tenor sax William Sperandi - trumpet, Howard Ayee - bass, Backup singers L. to R. Marissa Lindsay, Sophie Berkal-Sarbit Lauren Margison.

video: Stephen Smith
mycompass.ca

Jazz Trumpet Solo Havana - Viva Cuba

Jazz trumpet solo recorded May 2006 at the Hotel Ambos Mundos. In the early 1930's Ernest Hemingway stayed in room 511 and wrote the first chapter of, For Whom The Bell Tolls.

directed by Stephen Smith
http://www.mycompass.ca

Park City Stars

I know some get a kick when they can identify a place with some celebrity connection.

So, just a week after the Sundance Film Festival I was half expecting to see some star power lingering on for some l’apres ski around Park City, Utah maybe even a Robert Redford sighting. Fingers were crossed.


Now, if you say Team USA members in bobsled, luge, and skeleton have star power (and that they do) then yes, I managed to hang with the best.

But the day didn’t start that way. The streets were visibly bare; it was mid-morning. I swore I saw some tumbleweed roll past the Egyptian Theater which only a few days earlier was rife with cine-fans marching in their stilettos.

Instead all attention was focusing on the Utah Olympic Park in Park City. Team USA had descended on the snow peaked Wasatch Mountains ready for some last minute training.

We drove to the bobsled/luge/skeleton track (theirs cost an estimated US$25- million while ours, the Whistler Sliding Centre cost $105 million).

“Come on over here. I want you to meet our champions,” motioned a flaming red headed Carl Roepke, himself a seven-time US national champion who will be the official Olympics announcer for all the slider competitions (luge, skeleton and bobsled).

“The only choreographed part is winning the medal stuff. Everything else is me,” he says hitting his heart and adding before he goes live to millions of viewers he’ll visit the track.

“I breathe it all in and will walk up the track to really feel it,” he said describing the moment he’ll arrive at Whistler’s now all too infamous sliding center in which Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died in a tragic training accident.

Then there was Bill Schuffenhauer, prepping his bobsled called Sea Biscuit. The 2002 Olympic silver-medal winner in the four-man bobsleigh helped the US. end the 46-year medal drought was now gently polishing the razor sharp race runners. “It’s going to be a good time,” he revealed about the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Ask me if I was becoming a spy? I couldn’t believe how accessible the national teams were. There they were sans handlers with no red tape. No police brigade. There I was standing next to the world champion skeleton daredevil darling Noelle Pikus-Pace with her blond locks streaked in blue and red. “I grew up in a family of eight and have five brothers,” said Noelle, the youngest in the brood. What do you say to someone who careens 90 mph down the icy track, face first?

World champion bobsled winner and US gold Olympic hopeful Steven Holcomb was feeling no anxiety when I mentioned the fastest sliding track on earth. “I’m ready to win,” said the Park City native confidently.

Still wishing to add more star sighting experiences, I figured you might as well go straight to the source and find out from some of the venues who hosted some of the stars during Sundance.

Why was Park City so popular among the glitterati? Was there some star dust in these sugar-coated mountains? Was it something about the 7,000 foot elevation? True, it’s the stomping ground of the Sundance Kid himself. I heard Mr. Redford, as the locals like to address him, drives himself to the events in his Prius. There’s no pretense.

Jesus my Mexican-American chauffer (I know I said there’s no pretense but really there isn’t…just a lot of money) says Bill Murray flew charter and stayed at a friend’s lodge with a private ski run located next to the opulent The Canyons Resort which interestingly was recently purchased by Talisker, a Toronto real estate company.

Toronto expat and Park City resident Robin Rankin who now heads the Kimball Art Center laughs when the film festival’s mentioned. “Oh yeah, I managed to attend a screening and when I turned around I couldn’t believe Bill Gates was sitting behind me just there with the rest of us.”

Considered the town’s cultural hub, the Kimball Art Center transformed into the Sundance House and was the scene for “The Celebration of Music in Film” a seminar with guest speakers Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt. But somehow the two were having such a good time, the evening morphed into a free acoustic set. “Lyle was awesome,” beamed Robin.

Back at my own lodgings, the Sky Lodge, which sits adjacent to Redford’s restaurant Zoom, ace sales guy, Bill Ekblad, toured us through the star smitten penthouse and raved about the week’s VIP parties and celebrity interviews staged there. Singer Bono from U2 is known to have also stayed on another occasion. When he arrived, it’s reported 17 pallets arrived with him for his short three-day stay. “He loves skiing,” said one insider.

Now that gives “packing light” new meaning.

The thing I found about Park City is it doesn’t matter when you visit. The hospitality is genuine. Myles Rademan, a member of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Organizing Committee who helped mastermind the success of that Olympics said it best.

“We put the party back in the Olympics. We didn’t wait for others to plan it for us. We did it ourselves. We organized a whole lot of things as a municipality to promote ourselves as the fun place to gather. We had a story. We had a theme. And people were drawn to that.”

Turns out the evening I had dinner with Myles, he says our own Olympic organizers were still calling him a week before for advice.

Call it star power.

photo credit: Stephen Smith/mycompass.ca

Haiti Relief from the DR

Travel writer Ilona Kauremszky gives her first hand account on how Cabrera, a small fishing village in the Dominican Republic gave aid and relief to Haiti after the devastating earthquake of January 12th 2010. Interviewed by Nil Koksal on the CBC's (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) News Now. Original broadcast aired January 23rd 2010.

Pop The Cork: Here's what's happening in 2010

You heard it here. 2010 is the year of big anniversaries, gonzo (re)openings, parties, special events, and massive developments. Here’s a sneak peek at some of what’s planned for the world stage.


Hug the Earth

The event: 40th anniversary of Earth Day
The date: April 22, 2010
Why it’s a big deal: When you pick up your new desk calendar flip to April. Lots have happened since the first Earth Day back in 1970 when former US Senator Gaylord Nelson started the movement. There’s been an oil crisis, genetically modified food and global warming as examples. Now hug a tree and get ready to celebrate Earth Day.
http://www.earthday.net/earthday2010


NORTH AMERICA

Cheers to the XXI Olympic Winter Games

The event: The 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics
The dates: February 12-28, 2010 and March 12-21, 2010
Why it’s a big deal: It’s the second time the winter games will be hosted in Canada. The sporting events will be split between Vancouver as the main host city with Richmond and Whistler. Athletes from over 80 countries are expected to descend on our favourite snow destinations. Tickets are available from $50-$350. Order by phone call toll-free 1-800-TICKETS (1-800-842-5387) or visit vancouver2010.com
http://www.vancouver2010.com/
http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/olympics/index.htm


Cupid slings an arrow

The event: The 400th anniversary of Cupids, the birthplace of English Canada
The dates: August 17, 2010 - August 22, 2010
Why it’s a big deal: This tiny British settlement founded by John Guy helped spawn further British settlements inland. A fascinating site worth visiting.
www.cupids400.com/


Sizzling Santa Fe

The event: Santa Fe’s 400th anniversary
The dates: Year round
Why it’s a big deal: Here’s a city that boasts many accolades from the the highest capital city in the United States (try 7,000 feet above sea level) to reams of accolades from magazines like Conde Nast Traveler and Forbes Traveler. Now the city of 70,000 residents is planning a year-round birthday party. Hotels are putting together discounts and specials.
http://santafe400th.com/


Fab Florida

The event: Tampa to get a slew of openings perfect for the family market
The dates: Vary
Why it’s a big deal: Sure Tampa’s got lots of kiddy fun but now get ready for the new state-of-the-art 53,000 sq.ft Glazer Children’s Museum set to open in 2010 and watch for the already wildly popular Busch Gardens set to welcome the gang from Sesame Street with its Sesame Street Safari of Fun.

The event: Fort Lauderdale is the new home of the world’s largest (for now) cruise ship, RCI’s Oasis of the Seas.
Why it’s a big deal: The 5,400 pax cruise line dwarfs the skyline at Cruise Terminal 18, the new home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.
www.oasisoftheseas.com/

Viva Mexico

The Event: Mexico’s Bicentennial Independence Celebrations + Centennial of Mexican Revolution
The dates: year round
Why the big deal? It’s 200 years of independence and 100 years after the big Mexican Revolution. One of Canada’s favourite sun destinations will be launching six history routes of which three will showcase military campaigns from the Independence Movement and three will retrace trails from the Mexican Revolution.
http://www.bicentenario.gob.mx/english/


SOUTH AMERICA

Lovin’ Lima

The event: the 475th anniversary of Lima
The date: January 17-18, 2010
Why it’s a big deal? This Spanish colonial city dubbed the “City of Kings” is planning big fireworks, music concerts and dance troupes strutting in colourful costumes.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Singapore facelift

The event: Three big hotel projects
The dates TBA 2010
Why it’s a big deal: Looks like Singapore is going head to head with the “other” gaming capital of Macau as three massive hotels are set to open. Watch for Marina Bay Sands, touted as Singapore’s first casino and resort. The multi-billion dollar development considered one of the most expensive to build in the world includes a “sky park” with gardens, lots of high-end restaurants, a museum, a mall and an uber chic swimming pool.

Over at the Fullerton Heritage Complex, which already has waterfront dining and entertainment to its newly refurbished hotel, there will be the new Fullerton Bay Hotel, a ritzy boutique property. Watch for the opening of Resorts World at Sentosa. This holiday island will be home to a Hard Rock Hotel and a Universal Studios theme park including the world's largest oceanarium and more.
http://www.visitsingapore.com/publish/stbportal/en/index.html

EUROPE

A Toast to France

The event: 100th anniversary of Lutetia Hotel in Paris
The date: year round
Why it’s a big deal: Considered an Art Deco masterpiece, the Lutetia when it first opened on the Left Bank in Paris was where the glitterati of the day sojourned. Think artist Pablo Picasso and performer Josephine Baker. It’s amazing what a department store can do and how it thought of everything. Built by Bon Marche, the department store sits across the street and makes a perfect resting pad from a busy shopping day. Special centennial packages are available.
http://www.lutetia-paris.com/en/?

Irish eyes are smiling

The event: The 1,500th anniversary of Enniscorthy
Dates: March 6, 2010
Why it’s a big deal: This wee town carries mass appeal. The former stomping ground of St. Senan who founded the town back in 510 A.D. will get an “Enlightenment Parade” packed with groups, bands and fireworks.

The event: The 800th anniversary of Athlone Castle
Dates: Early April-Early October 2010
Why it’s a big deal: Built by King John of England in 1210, this Norman castle dominates the town centre and commands the traditional gateway to the West of Ireland. Open from Easter weekend to early October, the castle features exhibitions and audio visual presentations, including the Siege of Athlone.
www.discoverireland.com

Guten Tag Germany

The event: Oberammergau 2010 Passion Play
The dates: May 13 – October 3, 2010Why it’s a big deal: The religious tourism market is heating up. Ever since this Bavarian town survived the Black Plague which swept through the town in 1633, residents staged the Passion Play as a thank you and vowed that every 10 years the play shall go on. Today, thousands descend in Oberammergau to watch a play that has been performed only by locals for centuries.
www.oberammergau-passion.com


The event: The Romantic Road turns 60
Dates: May-October 2010; opening ceremony May 7 and 8
Why it’s a big deal: Picture 400 km of nostalgia. The oldest holiday route in Germany --it’s purported to have spawned a series of Romantic Roads worldwide like Japan in ’82 and Brazil in ’98 -- will have revelers dressed in lederhausen and other fashion statements of the 50s for walks, bike rides and historical train rides journeying the road connecting 28 towns between Würzburg in Franconia and Füssen in the Allgäu. https://www.romantischestrasse.de/?lang=uk

The event: 200th celebration of Oktoberfest in Munich
Dates: September 18-October 3, 2010
Why it’s a big deal: The world's most famous beer festival will open its beer tents for the 200th time in history.
http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/

The event: Robert Schumann’s 200th birthday party
June 8, 2010
Why it’s a big deal: The town of Zwickau, in Saxony, celebrates a famous citizen’s 200th birthday with its annual Schumann Festival scheduled in June. Retrace composer Robert Schumann’s footsteps, stroll through the markets and beer gardens and see the composer’s birthplace.
http://www.schumannzwickau.de/en/default.asp

The event: 300 years of Meissen Porcelain
January 23, 2010 is the anniversary inauguration with special exhibitions and events planned year round.
Why it’s a big deal: For fine china buffs and lovers of the blue onion design, Saxony’s other famous patron concerns the famous Meissen porcelain factory. The crossed swords the company’s signature trademark is coveted by the finest art collections around the world.
http://friedrich.meissen.com/?lang=1

Turkish Delight

The event: Istanbul, Turkey becomes 2010 European Capital of Culture
dates: year round
Why it’s a big deal: The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year. Okay, Istanbul will share this title with Essen, Germany and Pecs Hungary. Istanbul is a big deal because the folks at ECOC say the city is at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and as a result there are tons of cultural heritage sites spanning thousands of years. To boot, the city (population of approx. 13 million) is considered one of the most energetic cities in the world.
http://www.en.istanbul2010.org/index.htm


AFRICA

Cape Town Kick-off

The event: 19th FIFA World Cup 2010
dates: June 11-29, 2010 with the finals on July 11, 2010
Why it’s a big deal: It’s the first ever FIFA World Cup on African soil. Insiders report this World Cup will inspire hope and aspiration throughout Africa. What a better way than having celebrities like South African born Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, soccer icon David Beckham and Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, lead the charge in presenting the Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup a couple of weeks ago. Tickets are now available. Prices vary.
www.fifa.com/worldcup/