RhineBuzz

Galliano at the düsseldorf festival!

Richard Galliano and his quintet

©C. Vincent Catala

As he played the very first note, the smile in Richard Galliano’s face began to be noticeable. Although he had a sold out venue and created a concert that earned him a long lasting standing ovation, what really drew us was that smile, the joy of once again making music. For those of you who were there and didn’t see it, maybe you were too distracted by his fashionable red shoes?

It didn’t matter that he was playing music by two composers who lived around 250 years apart from each other. These very demanding pieces sounded completely effortless and uncomplicated on his accordion. Playing pieces that are not even original for that kind of ensemble. Galliano was living every phrase and playing them with an astonishing artistry and sensibility.

The concert of Galliano and his quintet, last Monday September 23, where he played music by Antonio Vivaldi and Astor Piazzolla, was one of those somewhat rare opportunities were you can actually be part of the creation of music.

The listener was treated to a masterfully and really creative contemporary interpretation of a so called “classic”. Regardless of your occupation and professional background, he made sure you felt immersed in this new musical dimension.

We should learn what his smile is all about: he enjoys his concerts possibly even more than his audience and shares in a very contagious manner this feeling with everyone.

Thank you RhineBuzz for the opportunity to witness this amazing performance, and for Galliano and the incredible düsseldorf festival!

Once again, Bravo!

The düsseldorf festival! continues until October 6

Arturo Castro

25 Years Unique - the Celebration at zakk

With Laura Vane and The Vipertones,

the legendary Keb Darge,

Eddie Pillar of Acid Jazz, and many, many more on two floors ..... and of course Henry Storch

Henry Storch's Unique Records from Düsseldorf is one of the last independent dance record labels left in Europe specialising in soul, funk, rare grooves, hip hop, drum'n'bass and especially heavy breakbeats of all kinds!
Join Henry and friends and collaborators from 25 years of Unique and some truly big names in the world of dance music at zakk to celebrate with 8 international DJs from 4 live acts including the very bubbly Laura Vane from Brighton, England and her band the Vipertones, from the Netherlands.

The line up:
Live:

Laura Vane and The Vipertones
Planet Asia
Rhonda
Paul Doherty ( The Vals)

DJs Funk & Hip Hop Floor:
DJ Format
Spruzzi Monorecords Superfunktanker
Mister Gogo
Henry Storch
DJs Vintage Floor (Club)
The Legendary Keb Darge
Eddie Piller (Acid Jazz)
Michael Wink
Gu

Tickets €15.00 online from Zakk with paypal, with eventim and at Hitsville in the Altstadt

or, try and win! Tell me where Laura Vane is from, send this to win@rhinebuzz.com and the first correct answer wins two tickets to the party! Thanks Henry!

25 Unique at zakk

October 2

Fichten Strasse 40

40233 Düsseldorf

Ghost Track review for the düsseldorf festival!

LeineRoebana Dance Company
©Deen Van Meer

Position yourself in front of the majestic Rhine in the old part of Düsseldorf, Germany. Then picture a multi-award winning, avant-garde Dutch contemporary dance company and a traditional Indonesian Gamelan ensemble doing a performance together. Can you really imagine it? A musical tradition of almost two millennia collaborating with a European modern dance company alongside the Rhine?

On September 19and 20 the LeineRoebana Dance Company along with the Kyai Fatahillah Gamelan Ensemble created an incredible and enigmatic atmosphere with their performanceGhost Track. With a very enthusiastic public which was in an absolute awe during the 75 minutes worth of show, the musicians and the dancers communicated with great ease and sensibility a really complex and yet so easy to appreciate piece of art.

As a foreigner in Germany and as a young artist I am really starting to understand why I crossed the Atlantic and learned a new language, cultural offerings like the düsseldorf festival! - which I never would have known about had it not been for RhineBuzz - where you can hear the music of Bach and Mozart in a church one day and the next an eclectic incredible performance like Ghost Track make my time here richer than I would have ever imagined.

Arturo Castro-Nogueras

Arturo is a Mexican/Peurto Rican student at the Robert Schumann Music Conservatory. Not only is he a most talented musician, but he also has a keen interest in all the arts added to which, he also happens to be a fabulous cook! All elements which are greatly influential at the düsseldorf festival!

He will be following the festival along with me and I certainly look forward to more of these quite personal posts :)

düsseldorf festival!

The düsseldorf festival! hits town on Wednesday September 18 with a spectacular opening evening in the beautiful St Andreas Church with works by Bach, Poulenc, Haydn and Mozart in a seductive concert featuring Mark Schumann, of RhineBuzz favourites The Schumann Quartett, all under the charismatic direction of Ulrich Brall. This concert was sold out pretty much as soon as it was announced.

Then up until October 6, the city will be treated to an incredible assortment of dance, contemporary circus with Circa; magic, jazz, funk with Amp Fiddler; folk music, hip hop with Rage; theatre, beatbox, poetry, harps with Giovanni Pessi and Susanne Wallumrød;
and .... and .... and ... all taking place at various locations throughout the city and based at the Theatre Marquee on Burgplatz.

Once again Christinane Oxenfort and Andreas Dahmen have put together an incredible festival. Us Düsseldorfers are so very fortunate to have this on our doorstep.

If Grief Could Wait
Photo ©Giovanni Ulvo

Take a look at the programme and if you are uncertain what to choose, perhaps go for something you are not normally drawn to. All performances are chosen with great diligence to bring you the most colourful, dynamic and stimulating festival imaginable.

Ghost Track
©DeenVanMeer

Win tickets with RhineBuzz!

Tell us which countries the dancers are from in the performance Ghost Track and you can win two seats for Friday September 20.

Send your entry to win@rhinebuzz.com. The first correct answer wins the tickets! If you have already won tickets for the 2013 festival you are exempt from taking part.

Kunstpunkte - Open Studios 2013

On the first two weekends in September the city invites you to take a look around some 500+ artists' studios which are opened to the public.

Kinetic installations by Birgit Brebeck-Paul

You can pick up a flyer, which lists the studios and gives you a free map (look under 'Karte') in numerous cafés, museums and book stores around town and you can go and explore independently or, you can take a tour where you will be driven to 5 or 6 different studios in a funky vintage bus. Each tour is accompanied by two artists who introduction you to the studios you are about to visit and encourage an exchange with the the artists you visit.

RhineBuzz will be giving two tours in English, on the Sundays, Sept 8 and 15, at 3pm. On one I will be accompanied by Gesine Kikol, who studied at the Düsseldorf Art Academy and on the second writer and poet Frank Schablewski will join me.

Not only do you get to see some fascinating art over the weeekend but you also have the chance to discover many hidden spots in the city. Many said this was the best RhineBuzz event of 2012, as you venture into parts of the city, you simply had no idea that existed. We visit former bunkers, an artists' colony built by Hitler, studios in disused factories by the Rhine and beautiful, balmy courtyards.

in the studio of Hiroyuki Masuyama at the wharf in Reisholz

Open Studios is not just about visual arts - on Saturday September 14 at 5pm and Sunday 15 at 4pm, there will be two premiere performances of electronic music by Damian T. Dziwis and Maximillian Yip at Kunstpunkt Studio 209 - Sound @ART at the old artists' house in the city in the foyer of Atelierhaus Sittarder Strasse 5.

On the Fridays before Kunstpunkte, many extra spaces are opened where you can not only see art and meet the artists but there are also special performances, workshops and talks. See Off-Raüme for details.

Chansons amongst the art in Off-Raüme

The RhineBuzz tours in English will take place on

Sunday Sept 8 at 3pm and Sunday Sept 15 at 3pm

€15.00 per person

Reservations by email to Petra Weiß: petra.weiss@duesseldorf.de

Bus leaves from Düsseldorf Rheinterrassen, Joseph-Beuys-Ufer 33

Please by there by 2.50pm

There are limited places on the bus

Make a binding reservation early to avid disappointment

We were oversubscribed last year

Prita

I met Australian songstress Prita at a concert that was part of the Stadtklang project earlier in the year. Enchanted by her music, her lyrics, the loop pedal she incorporates in her own pieces, and her extraordinary aura, we exchanged a few words after the gig and have kept in touch since.

I've rarely met a musician who connects with their audience in such a natural, yet bold and quiet way.
Prita looks you straight in the eye as she sings, but she's not yearning "love me, love what I do" she is sharing what she does with you. She gives you the feeling that if you like what you hear she will be delighted, but if you don't "well hey .... thanks for coming, anyway!"

Ahead of her next concert here in Düsseldorf on Thursday August 8, open air at the Vier Linden beer garden in Oberbilk, I asked her a few questions about her great gift of song and what makes Prita .... well Prita!

If you didn't sing, what would you be doing?

Maybe I'd have my own café/cupcake shop or a wellness center with lots of healthy types of things, juices, yoga and massages.

Can you tell us about your very first gig?

I think my very first gig was at kindergarten dressed up as a 'star' as in twinkle twinkle little star.. or something like that.. I sang all through school any chance I got.. but my first 'proper gig' was with my first band (blues/rock) in Albany WA, when I was about 12 or 13 yrs old, we played at the beautiful big old town hall in the centre of Albany at the end of year guitar school concert (I was learning classical) .. I was the singer in the band and was dancing a lot and wearing a mid-riff top - very cool in the 80's no doubt.. singing songs like 'roadhouse blues' (the doors), 'total control' (the motels), 'come together' (the beatles) etc.. the band was put together by the teachers at my guitar school and the band was called 'protege'.

The message in "Get Out of Your Own Way" is very simple, but actually doing this is of course a very different matter. How did you managed to make that jump?

It took me a long time to build up the confidence in myself and my abilities as a singer and performer - I worked and studied all kinds of other things before I made the big jump - but I really just got to a point where I had to put all my energy and efforts into being a musician and performer - I had to give it a shot - or risk regretting it later in life that I never tried.. - and so far it has definitely paid off for me - making that jump into the unknown and following what I love to do.

Why did you choose to cover Nina Simone's "I'm Feeling Good", that's pretty courageous!

I love Nina Simone, she has such a classic style and attitude - I love watching old videos of her live shows on youtube - she is very passionate and real and just so talented - I guess she is one of my heroes - and also I just love the positive lyrics in 'feeling good' it's a nice way to end a show on a positive note!!

Where were you before you were lived in Berlin?

I lived in Australia for many years then went travelling overseas - worked for 2 years as crew member on a private yacht, travelling all over the Caribbean, USA, Mediterranean before settling back in my home town for a few years to pursue music and then leaving home to follow my dreams of living and touring in Europe!!

What's next for Prita?

I hope to have a new Live Album coming out soon - I did some recording in France when I was on tour recently and would love to release that soon!! I'm also playing in a few festivals in Germany and have lots of touring around Germany before I head back to France and possibly the UK again for some touring!

Good luck Prita! You certainly deserve every success and I'm really looking forward to seeing you again!
Thanks heaps for the interview Caroline! :) See you soon!

Check out Prita's videos, bio, music and photos on her website

The concert will take place even if it is raining - then it will be moved inside!

Vier Linden

Siegburger Str 25

40591 Düsseldorf

100 Years Museum Kunstpalast Celebration

The Museum Kunstpalast, often referred to as 'the treasure house of the city', celebrates its 100th year this week. On Saturday July 6 a full programme is planned including free tours and a festival in the Ehrenhof. Bands will be playing from 3pm until 11pm including musicians from the Clara Schumann Music School and the Robert Schumann Music School and the Japanese drummers Shin Daiko. There will also be a children's workshop.

To mark the centenary a book has been produced by the museum and the Rheinsche Post, 40 Düsseldorfers were asked to choose a piece of art work from the collection and write a personal story about this. I was absolutely delighted to be invited to write too (and hugely nervous!). The book was presented at a reception at the museum on Tuesday July 2, one day after the actual birthday.

I chose to write about Marta Klonowska's Glass Goat, a delightful sculpture from the Hentrich Glass Collection, one of my absolute favourite spots in the city.

The book is in German only and available in the gift store at the musuem and at bookshops in the city and includes contributions by cult director and Düsseldorfer Wim Wenders, City Mayor Dirk Elbers and video museum owner Julia Stoschek.

I'll have to check if I may add my piece, originally written in English and translated by the museum, here for you to read in English ... and here it is!

Marta Klonowska in her studio in Flingern

Open Source Festival 2013

Dinosaur Jr are headlining the programme at this year's Open Source Festival at the race course in Grafenberg on June 29.
Spend a day outdoors with a fabulous line up on various stages, stalls with wares from the local creative folk, yummy food and then finish up at by taking the shuttle bus to Stahlwerk for an all night party!

Why wouldn't you want to go?!!

Modeselektor

Discounted tickets available until June 28. Purchase your tickets here

Meet Thomas Herbrich - 'Master of Manipulation', Digital Photo Pro

Hovering Island
©Thomas Herbrich

A very special event especially for RhineBuzz!

Meet Thomas Herbrich - Düsseldorf photographer whose projects have included work on Roland Emmerich's blockbuster "Independent Day".

Thomas Herbrich will not only treat the RhineBuzz community to a fascinating talk and presentation on his extensive work, but he will also give us an insight into Thomas the entertainer, the artist, the people's person. He loves to share his work, his 'trade secrets', his experiences. He is a regular speaker at the world's greatest photography festivals and exhibitions, at a recent date the authorities were obliged to actually close down his space as the queue for visitors wishing to reach his stand exceeded safety limits!!

I've had the great pleasure of meeting Thomas several times now - he is funny, charming and extremely giving.

Thomas loves the idea of RhineBuzz and has agreed to give a talk at a very special rate.

He often gives talks to an audience of up to 1000, but we have chosen Bar Zogel as a location in order to make this event very personal, so do make sure you book your place soon. Seating is very limited.

I feel there will be no 'last minute spaces' as are often requested at our events!

The presentation will begin at 5pm and last one hour and then Thomas would love to have a drink and chat with us :)

Cost €18.00

This event is generously sponsored by the International School on the Rhine in Neuss - ISR

Please email events@rhinebuzz.com for reservations

Thomas Herbrich at Bar Zogel at 5pm

12 May 2013

Schirmerstr 1

40211 Düsseldorf

Unique Records 25 Years

Henry Storch's Unique Records turns 25 years old this year!
Celebrations kick off on May 8 at the KuFa in Krefeld at 8pm, expect groovin' jewels from Unique, the last independent record label in Europe with worldwide distribution.

What's up:

@ Mainfloor
AL SUPERSONIC & THE TEENAGERS (Spain | Unique Records)
THE PRIME MOVERS (PRISONERS/UK) original line up feat.: Graham Day, Allan Crockford, Simon Howard

--> afterwards: Monsters of Funk & Soul Allnighter

KuFa Krefeld

Dießemer Str. 13

47799 Krefeld

Tickets €16:00 can be purchased in advance here
Evening box office €20:00

expats welcome day 2013

The Düsseldorf Office of Economic Development is staging an Expats Welcome Day at the Malkasten on April 17 2013 from 11am to 8pm.

Some 40 services will be presenting what they have to offer from health insurance and taxes to what to do in your free time. I will be giving a short talk on RhineBuzz at 6.30pm when we will showing some of our past events and inviting you to upcoming dates. We will also be announcing a new networking service in partnership with Dissetare. This will include small, exclusive events.

The full programme is here.

If you are a service relevant to the expat community and would like a stand for the day, please contact: expats@zack-brumm.net or call Conny Hildmann on 0221 30 23 98 60 who speaks English.

expats welcome day 2013

Malkasten

Jacobistraße 6a

40211 Düsseldorf

Ballet on the Rhine b.15

@ Gert Weigert

The Ballet am Rhein presents five pieces under the direction of award-winning Martin Schläpfer with b.15

The programme includes four world premieres, with work from the young choreographer Antoine Jully who charmed us with his piece Inside in the 2011/12 season. This time he will be presenting Rebound-Topple-Splash with music from Stravinsky describing these three physical states in a form of young, dynamic dance.

Personally, I am greatly looking forward to the piece Inclination by Regina van Berkel, whose work Frozen Echo from b.07 has to be one of my all time favourite pieces.

For more details on the programme, please see here.

Join us for an afternoon of spectacular dance at the Opera House Düsseldorf

RhineBuzz is offering discounted tickets in the stalls and upper tiers for the Sunday matinée on April 21 at 3pm.

Please email opera@rhinebuzz.com for price details.

The International Online Music Academy (iolma) Concert and Opening Party

Join RhineBuzz for a celebration of world class music -

beginning with a

mix of baroque, Latin American and classical guitar and

culminating with a

vibrant fiesta of jazz and rock classics

April 13 at 7.30pm

and all for free!

I receive all sorts of emails asking for support within the international community, but just recently one project has truly captured my imagination - IOLMA, international online music academy.

Students of the Robert Schumann School of Music, award winning guitarists Mircea Gogoncea, Martin Zimny and Aleksandar Vidojevic presented their project to me one Sunday afternoon and as I left their tiny studio, not only inspired by the idea to share their privileged musical education to students who simply do not have the possibility to experience some of the best teachers in the world, I was also stunned at their dedication and business savvy as they presented the 'how does it work' to me in the studio and their vision for the future and how they would like to see their idea of bespoke online music tuition go global.

Martin Zimny, Mircea Gogoncea and Aleksandar Vidojevic of iolma
http://www.facebook.com/iolma

Partner in the project is Joachín Clerch, winner of the Echo Prize for Classical Music 2009 - the prestigious German music prize, and professor at the Robert Schumann School of Music. His students constantly rave that he is simply one of the most respected teachers of the classical guitar in the world today and when you consider that his students win the greatest competitions for classical guitar on a regular basis, you know that they are not exaggerating!

“Joaquín Clerch is undoubtedly …

… one of the world’s leading figures, perhaps even the leading figure, among the guitarists of his generation.” (Eliot Fisk)

The International Online Music Academy (IOLMA) Concert and Opening Party

with performances by professor Joaquín Clerch, award winning guitarists Mircea Gogoncea, Martin Zimny, Aleksandar Vidojevic.

Entertaining us for the party will be jazz singer and renowned classical performer Luis Regidor, winner of the second place at the Montreaux Jazz Festival 2010, a real showman who also loves to rock!! He will be joined by friends and special guests of the Düsseldorf live music scene.

Can you really miss out on this uniquely diverse evening?

The event will also feature the opening of their crowdfunding campaign designed to raise funds for the development of a realistic system for a better, more extensive music education system for talented students worldwide.

April 13 at 7.30pm

Kammermusiksaal

Robert Schumann Hochschule

Fischerstr. 110

40476 Düsseldorf

Four Farces - English Theatre presented by the English Speakers Circle

We are most fortunate to have the ESC here in the city. Susan Jones and her team at the English Speakers Circle are one of the most well established groups in the city for English speakers. They hold regular events, including presenting first class English theatre from national and international companies touring Europe.

On March 22 at 7pm they bring you the European Arts Company who will be performing Four Farces: 'an evening of pure pleasure. Four English one act farces from the 19th Century including two by John Maddison Morton who Kenneth Tynan described as 'better than Feydeau'. You'll see duelling pistols, mistaken identity, double-crossing, intoxication, cross dressing, romance and a shot in the dark. Played in our usual breathlessly imaginative, inventive style, this promises to be a night of raucous laughter and great fun.'

'European Arts Company really takes the audience by storm. A surreal performance, witty and hilarious, full of energy, talent and creativity.' - Culture Guide

Tickets, €9.00, available from Susan Jones 0211 31 79 322

Saal 1

Weiterbildungszentrum,

(behind the main station)

Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz,

Düsseldorf