RhineBuzz Funk & Soul

RhineBuzz Party!

Maurice Allen Lee

Oklahoma City, USA

at the

Our Funk & Soul extravaganza with Maurice Allen Lee is happening on November 20th at the Koyote Club, a new intimate private funk and soul club in the Old Schlachthof on the Rather Strasse 25, 40476 Düsseldorf.

We will present Maurice Allen Lee, soul man from Oklahoma City, USA, live on stage around 9.30pm accompanied by will be a six piece band. Expect

a very soulful show, Maurice is a bundle of energy on stage and of course, there will be all the usual RhineBuzz stuff ... prizes and surprises!

Our prize list grows, we have some great stuff to give away including cds from Putumayo World Music from New York; a gratis night out at the Koyote Club, including drinks; tickets to the Legoland Discovery Centre in Duisburg; invitations to the opening of Robert Mapplethorpe at the NRW-Forum and two tickets to the Rhine Ballet b.02.

The Koyote Club just opened in August and already has the hottest dj's knocking on it's doors. Between Maurice's live sets our dj Roger will be spinning old funk and soul, you will not keep still!

Tickets, €10 are limited. This is a tiny place, so please purchase in advance either by Paypal to caroline@rhinebuzz.com or email party@rhinebuzz.com for places where you can find Mark and I in the city to pick up tickets personally. Dinesh has also kindly offered to sell tickets for us.

The Hentrich Glass Museum in mkp

All pictures ©Bernd Ahrens Photography

The Hentrich Glass Collection is one of the largest collections of glass in Europe. It is part of the museum kunst palast and is based around the collection donated by the architect and great collector Helmut Hentrich.

Glass stretching over 3000 years can be admired here from pre-Roman to present day studio glass.

The Collection comprises of pieces that are always on show plus special exhibits such as the current show Correlations, glass from the collection of Malou Marjerus; a varied group of many forms, techniques and colours. My favourite just had to be the beautiful lime green handbag you can see above.

Entry to the Glass Collection is on the left hand side of the Ehrenhof, opposite the main entrance to museum kunst palast. €6.

In addition to this attached to the Tonhalle, the round concert hall at the beginning of the Ehrenhof, there is a beautiful arched, green exhibition space. This is used by the Hentrich Collection to give you a gratis taster of the treasures in store just down the path at the museum.

Michael Behrens Underwater World

The Current show GLASpekte is a collection of work by members of the NRW Association of Glass Artists. The pieces on show have been made by taking inspiration from the main collection in the museum. The new director Dr Dedo von Kerssenbrock-Krosigk has spent much time in the USA and will be happy to give us RhineBuzz tour in English sometime. We just need to fix a date.

Dedo von Kerrsenbrock-Krosigk views

Reiner Eul Komposition xv1/09

The Glass Museum is certainly a gem in Düsseldorf, and as with so many places, somewhere waiting to be discovered.

Go and take a look at the exhibition space in the Tonhalle. It's free!

GLASpekte in the Green Archway Tues - Sun 1-6pm.

The Opera on the Rhine and Rhine Ballet

RhineBuzz at the Opera went to see The Magic Flute on Sunday night. We all had an enchanting evening and were especially pleased to welcome a small group from Henkel - do hope you will join us again next time.

Our next trip to this wonderful stage will be on Thursday 10th December at 6.30pm for the Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach, have a listen - just beautiful.

Email me us at opera@rhinebuzz.com for ticket details.

The new director at the Rhine Ballet, Martin Schläpfer, has been causing more than a stir since arriving in here Düsseldorf. Take a look at this rehearsal video and you know that he is putting his dancers through some incredibly physical stuff. Added to this one of the ensemble also put on Facebook that she had never known such muscle pain(!), so it was with much anticipation that I actually went to see b.01.

I was NOT disappointed. My goodness what an extraordinary performance! I loved part one, March, Waltz, Polka and felt that the final part, Symphony, was a total attack on all senses - in a most impressive way. Almost like you could actually smell what was going on! WoW. Go see.

The Opera have kindly given us special-priced tickets for the ballet just after Easter next year. Details to follow nearer the time.

Meanwhile check this out to see what all the fuss is about. It's brought to you by Deutsche Welle, German news in English.

4th November - I was asked by so many for ballet tickets now that I did manage to reserve a small amount - they were gone on the same day!

The NRW-Forum

©Bernd Ahrens Photography

Gathering for one of the first RhineBuzz tours September 2008

The NRW-Forum is now undergoing refurbishment and as such the exhibition space closes on November 8th until February of next year. Innovative as ever they are now showing Notebook, 2004, by Wood/Harrison, 101 Videos in 101 days, an Internet exhibition only. The shop and café remain open for most of this period, but please check the website for altered opening hours. There will be no more Stammtisch until February 2010 when we will be back with the fabulous Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition.

Thank you to everyone who has joined us there over the past year. It has been an absolute joy meeting you all.

Thank you also to Werner Lippert and Petra Wenzel for giving us a great place to meet.

usually our regular Friday Nights at the NRW-Forum

Cinema Listings for English Language Showings

This post will be changing on an almost daily basis as we receive new listings, so please keep checking back. We cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions but please let us know if you spot any so we can correct them. Unfortunately, listings are generally only made available for the following week hence the sometimes limited listings.

Mon. 9th

This Is It : Cinestar 14:30, 17:15, 20:15 (OmU)
This Is It : Cinestar 19:45 (OV)

Tue. 10th

This Is It : Cinestar 14:30, 17:15, 20:15 (OmU)
This Is It : Cinestar 19:45 (OV)

Wed. 11th

This Is It : Cinestar 14:30, 17:15 (OmU)

Wed. 25th

God's Smile or The Odessa Story : Black Box 17:45 (OmeU)

Peter On The Way To Heaven : Black Box 20:00 (OmeU)

Thur. 26th
Peter On The Way To Heaven : Black Box 18:00 (OmeU)

Fri. 27th

God's Smile or The Odessa Story : Black Box 17:45 (OmeU)

Mon. 30th

Whatever Works : Cinema 19:30 (OmU)

DECEMBER

Tue. 15th

The Apartment : Black Box 20:00 (OV)

OV = Original Version
OmU = Original Version with German subtitles
OmeU = Original Version with English subtitles

Music Events of interest to English speakers in the Dusseldorf area

All events are in Dusseldorf unless stated otherwise, we're not responsible for errors or omissions etc. Please let us know if we've missed something you think we should be showing. The listings will change on a regular basis. Latest additions or changes are displayed in red.

November
12th Aha : Oberhausen Arena
16th Back Street Boys : Oberhausen Arena
17th The Levellers : Bochum Zeche
18th The BossHoss : Essen Grugahalle
19th Morrissey : Philipshalle, Dusseldorf
19th Juliette Lewis : Bochum Zeche
22nd Prodigy/Enter Shikari : Philipshalle
22nd Biffy Clyro : Bochum Zeche
23rd Alice In Chains : Dortmund tbc
23rd Yo La Tengo : Zakk
25th Franz Ferdinand : Philipshalle
28th Pink : Esprit Arena
30th Pink : Oberhausen Arena

December
1st Roxette, Heaven 17, Alan Parsons, John Miles : Oberhausen Arena
5th Jethro Tull : Bochum Christuskirche
7th Jessye Norman : Tonhalle
8th Yes : Philipshalle
10th Uriah Heep : Bochum Zeche
13th Rockabilly Weekender : Dörtmund

January 2010
17th UK Subs, The Vibrators : Zakk
29th Nickleback : Oberhausen Arena
30th Montserrat Caballe : Tonhalle

February
10th Artic Monkeys : Philipshalle, Dusseldorf
26th Depeche Mode : Esprit Arena
27th Depeche Mode : Esprit Arena

March
2nd Chris Rea : Philipshalle, Dusseldorf
3rd Mika : Philipshalle, Dusseldorf
5th Runrig : Oberhausen Arena
6th Jean Michel Jarre : Oberhausen Arena
7th Spandau Ballet : Philipshalle, Dusseldorf
12th Joan Armatrading : Krefeld Kulturfabrik
19th Scooter : Essen Grugahalle

April
14th Hayseed Dixie : Bochum tbc
17th Nigel Kennedy : Tonhalle
23rd Mireille Matthieu : Philipshalle

May
26th Whitney Houston : Oberhausen Arena
26th Michael Buble : Oberhausen Arena

June
22nd Mark Knopfler : Oberhausen Arena

Green Porno by Isabella Rossellini

Thursday's press conference at NRW-Forum with Isabella Rossellini

©Bernd Ahrens Photography

“I was always fascinated by the infinite,

strange and ‘scandalous’ ways

that insects copulate.”

Isabella Rossellini

Green Porno is wacky, childlike, scientifically accurate, pure eye candy, very funny.

For three days only Green Porno, the short movies by Isabella Rossellini will be shown at the NRW-Forum.

These short movies, conceived, acted and directed by Isabella Rosselini, will be shown upstairs in the gallery. Commissioned by the Sundance Channel with the cellular screen in mind these movies will bring a smile to your face as you learn how insects and aquatic creatures copulate and reproduce.

RhineBuzz will be there extra early, from 7pm, at our regular Friday Nights at the NRW-Forum, on 9th for a special evening combining Green Porno, Catwalks with the free introductions at 9 and 9.30pm and Stammtisch until midnight.

Here you will also have the chance to purchase the accompanying book including a DVD.

October 9th - 11th only. Don't miss it!

©Bernd Ahrens Photography

Isabella Rossellini presenting her book today.

She has just the kindest manner you could ever come across.

A smart, funny, beautiful and completely mesmerizing woman.

©Bernd Ahrens Photography

The first crowd that were at the NRW-Forum at 7. About 60 of you from the RhineBuzz community came in and out of the bar on Friday. Thank you for being there and making it a great evening!

Sing-a-Long Mary Poppins

We are thrilled to be initiating the International Day at the KinderKinoFest with a showing of the all time family favourite Mary Poppins in English.

Come along to the UFA Palast next to the Hauptbahnhof on November 7th at 3pm to taste the magic of Mary Poppins and her friends. You can reserve your tickets, €3 children and €4 adults, here.

We will have Sara Kraus, from Colorado, singing along and encouraging you to join in, so come to the movies for a very enjoyable day out for all the family!

Before the movie the LVR (Media Center Rhineland) are also offering a stop motion film workshop for the children. Email me if you wish to reserve a place, this is also just €3, but we do only have two places left!

The Children's Film Festival is a wonderful celebration of film where children can become involved in all aspects of film from all sides of the camera.Look out for the brightly coloured brochures which have been delivered to all participating cinemas, kindergartens and schools in the greater Düsseldorf area. A record 10.000 seats have already been reserved! Amina Johannsen and her team are doing a fantastic job at bringing this important media into childrens' lives in a fun and educational way.

I am especially pleased to have received training from the LVR Centre in stop motion film so that in the near future I will be able to offer these workshops in English to the schools of Düsseldorf and surrounding areas.

Please email me if you would like me to contact your child's school about this delightful workshop.

8th November - Our audience enjoyed Mary Poppins and Amina Johanssen was very pleased the so many of you turned up. Many thanks!

We are talking of plans for next year, extending the International Day and offering the English-speaking children an active role in the KKF activities. Wonderful stuff.

German Conversation Classes

Many of you tell me that you have had basic German lessons, but are now losing what you have learnt as you never get the chance to practice. Many Germans wish to speak English with you ...

To meet this need, in the heart of the Altstadt The English Language Forum, right next to Heinrich-Heine subway station, is now offering German Conversation Classes in small groups of no more than 6. The beginner classes have been happening for a while now and are well-loved, so if you'd like to chat in German and keep up what you have learnt so far give Andy a call on 0211 869369.

RhineBuzz on facebook

There is a RhineBuzz group on facebook. New members join almost daily - take a look around, there are many more pictures on here of our events, the people we attract, the fun we have!

Per Kirkeby and Caspar Wolf at kunst palast

museum kunst palast

Per Kirkeby, Beat Wismer and Kay Heymer

Caspar Wolf Landscape 1771 - 1774

all photographs ©Bernd Ahrens

The exhibitions Per Kirkeby and Caspar Wolf opened at the museum kunst palast on Friday evening with a concert by Mike Westbrook and Kate Westbrook.

The Per Kirkeby exhibition is a collaboration with Tate Moden London and I was fortunate to speak to the director of the Tate Modern, Vincente Todoli, at Thursday's press conference. I asked him why they has chosen the kunst palast to join forces with and he told me that they had been in talks with the kunst palast on several occasions, Dusseldorf is right he said and this museum with it's airey exhibition space is superb to show Kirkeby's monumental works. He was pleased that the show could now be extended for Dusseldorf. I glimpsed at the show in London recently where the exhibition space was slightly more modest than here and indeed here in Düsseldorf it takes on a very different feeling.

Beat Wismer and Per Kirkeby

Kirkeby studied as a geologist so the idea to show his work alongside the Swiss pre-romantic painter Caspar Wolf was a master stroke by the kunst palast's director Beat Wismer. Both artists were/are fascinated by mountains and rock formations and although their interpretations are very different the similarities are also very strong.

These two artists, that lived and worked 200 years apart, are deeply connected, do go along to the show and discover this exhibition for yourselves. It's a beautiful, intriguing and historically a very informative show.

Speaking with Vincenti Todoli (Tate Modern) and Kay Heymer and below Beat Wismer (museum kunst palast)

Free English Tour of Michel Comte Retrospective at the NRW-Forum

Michel Comte at the NRW-Forum February 2009

This show is now over

Filming with Teruko, Terumi and Makki

Following the success of RhineBuzz at the Albert Watson Best Of exhibition we are thrilled to have been asked to be part of the new show at NRW-Forum, Michel Comte Retrospective, the much sought after press and fashion photographer. We were at the the press conference yesterday and I was simply stunned as several of the photographs. The images are arresting, some stop you in your tracks.

From meticulously staged intimate,"paparazzi" type pictures from the celebrity world to the harsh images of war this exhibition is defintiely not to be missed.

The show begins on Sunday 1st February and from February 6th we will be giving a free tour in English every Friday at 9pm.

We also host a Stammtisch from 9pm until midnight, where all English speakers both old and new to the area are very welcome. You can join the Stammtisch even if you do not wish to visit the exhibition. Don't be shy - come along and find out what's happening in and around Düsseldorf.

our guests & friends from El Salvador, Iceland, Germany, Ireland, USA, Japan, India, Panama, Sweden, Russia, Haiti .....

All of our movies are by André Collen

Coming Up!

I'm often asked "what do you do?" There is no simple answer to this question!

Here's a little idea of other RhineBuzz stuff that we are working on and have been kept busy with recently -

October saw the first English Now! workshop to go into a comprehensive school in Essen. I was so very delighted about this. Catherine, a former professional ballet dancer teacher gave a hip hop class in English.

English Now! is a volunteer project I set up last year with the city's volunteer exchange Düsseldorf-Aktiv.

We have a few very successful placements in local kindergartens and if you are a native English speaker and would like to help youngsters improve their English in a fun and active way please send an email to caroline@rhinebuzz.com

Mark, a young Irishman, has been been working with us and pre-schoolers in Rath for several months now. You can read about this here.

A huge thank you to all that have helped so far. To Tricia and Erika who are now back in the States. Good luck Erika who is getting married soon! To Ben and Sissy who are now loving life back in New Zealand. Our volunteers come and go as they move around the globe, so even if you are only here for a short while, if you'd like to join in please let me know. It's a great way of meeting new people and finding a connection to the community.

We are supported by the Department for Youth Welfare.

Catwalks at the NRW-Forum has been a wonderful success in so many ways. October also saw the first schools' museum workshops in English. Students, after having been inspired by the exhibition, staged their own Catwalk show with make-up, clothes and soundtracks under my instruction (in a previous life I was a high-end fashion accessories designer. I have worked on many a show) best of all they were then professionally trained in walking the Catwalk with John Vilardo, dance teacher from USA. Finally the Show actually happened in the Media-Lounge of the NRW-Forum. This was of course photographed so that the students left with a lasting impression of the day. The NRW-Forum was bursting at the seams with school classes on somedays and I will be working on other such projects, all in English, again and with other institutions.

We will also be offering our own accompanied tours of Düsseldorf artists studios.

New partnerships are being spoken about almost weekly. I'm very pleased to be entering one such partnership with Roger and the Koyote Club. This is a very cool, private club somewhere where amongst other things we will also be able to hold our long-awaited Salsa Workshop!

So many of you keep asking me when we will begin the RhineBuzz Salsa Nights again ...

John Vilardo our dance teacher from USA will take an intensive Sunday after Christmas now as everyone is just so busy at this time of the year. The workshop will consist of 4x45 minute lessons with breaks. If you are interested in this please send a mail to salsa@rhinebuzz.com

The Opera on the Rhine have given us a whole year's program of events. So you can expect super-priced tickets to this wonderful house. I'm working on getting a tour together for the RhineBuzz community too. Those that took the mini-tour after our first event where astounded at just how complex such a theatre is. The costume department alone is massive, located deep beneath the Heinrich-Heine-Allee.

A fascinating institution, this new relationship is a huge asset for RhineBuzz.

Düsseldorf and Reading UK, have been twinned since 1947. Whilst I was recently in the UK I met with people from Reading Borough Council and the Twinning Association. These partnerships can be so very valuable, especially for young people. There's much to do in this area, what can I say? I'm working on it!

We are looking for a English speaking drama teacher!

I am asked for an English theatre group so often. I have a beautiful location, a theatre school in Derendorf, students now we just need an instructor.

Bernd Ahrens, a Düsseldorf photographer press photographer with portfolio of stunning photographs of this vibrant city, and I are working on a book on the city.

We are also working on bespoke portraits together. Staging funky situations at various locations around the city, together we can produce an something quite edgy and fun. Let your imagination run wild!

... and in my "freetime" we are actually filling the new site. Yes, thanks to Christian it really is real and happening ...

Much more to come ... Have a Great Day - whatever you are doing!

Tales For Tots

Tales for Tots happens every first and third Monday of the month at the International Library on at 4pm.

Take your little one along for some magical story-telling and nursery rhymes in English.

The International Library can be found in the centre of town at Kasernenstrasse 6. It is on the 4th floor.