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ONLY BE BARCELONIAN
Only-Be Barcelonian
Final Four in Barcelona: The Big Party in European Basketball
From May6 to May 8 the Final Four will take place at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona. With a capacity of more than 16 000 people this is one of the greatest venues where this fierce competition already took place in 1998 and 2003. The way to the final 4 is long and hard, it begins in the fall at the beginning of the season and goes through different phases where the less strong teams are being eliminated quickly. After the initial league phase where the first four teams of each group qualifies, it goes on to another league of four more reduced groups where the first two qualify. The last 8 make up the quarter finals in which a system of “best of 5” play begins. From there the last 4 result, that will compete for the European cup in the semifinals and finals on one intense weekend. The big surprise this year is that although the competition is held in their city and they were one of the favorites to go all the way, Regal Barcelona, the reigning champion from last year didn’t make it to the Final Four. The got eliminated in the previous round by the Greeks of Panathinaikos. But this was not the only surprise. After having lost by an embarrassing 48 points (89 – 41) in the first game, Montepaschi de Siena ended up winning the next 3 eliminating the mighty Olympiakos. Maccabi Tel Aviv did the same. After starting of 0:1 against Caja Laboral Vitoria, they were able to avoid elimination. However, the Israeli holiday Yom Hazikaron on May 8 (Day...
Ojos de Brujo at Apolo
The band Ojos de Brujo will play next Friday May 6 at 21:00 pm at the Sala Apolo in Barcelona, to celebrate ten years on stages worldwide. On this occasion the band will be accompanied by more than 20 artists that will reinterpret all their greatest hits and the huge number of songs produced over the years. Along with celebrating the career of Ojos de Brujo, the concert aims to highlight the group being finalist at the Best Fusion Album in the 2011 Music Awards with her album Corriente Vital-10años. The awards will be on May 18 at the Arteria Coliseum in Madrid. Ojos de Brujo was born in Barcelona in 1996. In those years, Barcelona was experiencing music jam sessions and Ramon Jimenez, who was playing flamenco guitar, met Juanlu, bassist, and they began to give shape to an interesting mixture of sounds with the flavor and passion of flamenco. From a clear notion of what they wanted and what they did not as a musical concept his first album was born, Vengue, edited in Belgium, Germany, Italy and France. Since then they developed a work of collaboration with various musicians, though the group was stabilized by Ramón Jiménez, Juanlu, Marina, Xavi Turull, Panko, Sergio Ramos and Maxwell Wright. In 2002, with the second album, Bari, the group launched an ambitious company creating the seal La Fábrica de Colores to produce their own projects, the most experimental one and focused on social and environmental issues. This second album is going to mean the internationalization of the group with promotional tours around the world. In 2006 their third album...
Cass McCombs Concert in Barcelona
Singer/songwriter Cass McCombs will play at the Sala Razzmatazz on May 16. The musician one of the most mysterious artists on the American neo folk scene, rarely gives interviews, because he avoids the media like the devil the water. He never gives interviews over the phone and he doesn’t have a solid residence. According to him, he earned money cleaning toilets in Baltimore and his grandmother was the one who cut the umbilical cord when he was born. Odd but fascinating facts. His „biography“ tells us that he was born in the Bronx, Haiti and Tahiti in 1977, but the reality is that he was born in California. In 2002 he recorded his first album “Not the Way” and in 2003 he dropped “A”, 2005 “Perfection”, 2007 “Dropping Writ” and 2009 “Catacombs.” McCombs is a modern nomad, a troubadour, who travels from city to city to let the change of scenery and freedom inspire him. His songs are proof for his unbelievable talent as well as his genius as writer. His songwriting abilities hint at an unconventional mind, but his music doesn’t at first. Later on, though, you will find something magical in it that will draw you in. On stage McCombs is not the shy person he is in real life. During concerts he puts his all in, his music and his incredible sense of humor. Pale, skinny and fragile in appearance he has the ability to make you laugh, cry or dance. A truly extraordinary singer whose musical influences are The Velvet Underground and Morrissay, but you will surely find a little bit of Dylan and Bowie...
Michael Sailstorfer at the Miro Foundation in Barcelona
On until the 25th April at the Miro Foundation is Sonar, an exhibition of the experimental work of German artist Michael Sailstorfer. The interesting new show addresses the question which preoccupied the artist and which shaped his work: what is a sculpture? Sonar, as the name suggests, is an experimental exhibition based on sound, in which a piece of glass is broken for acoustic effect. In order to make this effect visible, Sailstorfer constructs a room from wood, with one window, whose glass absorbs high frequency sound via a generator installed on the inside. The final smashing of the glass, which is the climax of the show, is shown on a video inside of the room, and can only been seen through the window frame of the broken glass. Michael Sailstorfer plays with concepts that he has derived from literature and cinema, transferring them into experimental installations. The Sonar piece is inspired by a character in the novel by Günter Grass, which was adapted for the screen by Volker Schlöndorff. The narrative revolves around Oskar Matzerath, a young boy who decides to stop growing at three years old, and develops a talent for breaking glass, using sounds created by playing his tambourine. The child symbolises the rupture of purity at the time of Hitler´s rise to power, and the desperation of a world without hope. Another of the inspirations at play in this work is the interesting performance Window Blowout in 1976 from North American vanguard artist Gordon Matta-Clark, son of surrealist painter Roberto Matta and Anne Clark, which involved shooting at glass in an abandoned building in Bronx,...
A Century of the Circus: Paulina Andreu Rivel Schumann
The cultural phenomenon of the circus has gradually undergone a resurgence, thanks to the recent recognition of the complexity of the circus arts. Even if circuses have often been seen as places of animal exploitation, this recognition of its aesthetics, and its contribution to fine art is an opportunity to delve a little deeper. Beyond the “cruel” label of the spectacle is a wonderful way of life, whose inhabitants live for their art – an art which forces them to adapt and sacrifice a lot. Itinerant, ephemeral and diverse, the circus troupe traverses the globe – great cities and small villages alike – showcasing it´s joyful, virtuoso world. The big top and all that goes on inside it involves a lot of hard work. The inhabitants of the circus are its creators; tightrope walkers, trapeze artists, jugglers, magicians, clowns – each person has their own special role in the circus micro-community. Circuses are often made up of entire families, and is a lifestyle which is passed down, from generation to generation. Telling these stories – or at least one of them – was the aim of exhibition “Un siglo de circo” (“A century of the circus“), where we learn about Paulina Andreu Rivel, daughter of famous Barcelona-born clown Charlie Rivel.* She may not be as well known as her father, but Paulina Andreu Rivel has had an active career in the circus – on the eve of her 90th birthday – is almost a century old. A collection of photographs tell the story of Paulina Rivel, and the many well-deserved tributes she has received over the years – the...
Montblanc Medieval Market
The story goes that Montblanc was at the mercy of an evil dragon which had brought much disgrace to the village. One day the town, fed up of all the suffering, got together, and made a pact with the dragon, so that he would stop his path of destruction. The agreement was that, every now and again, the village would offer somebody up to the dragon, to quench his thirst for blood – and that the name would be drawn out of a hat. So, one terrible day, the chosen one happened to be the daughter of the King of Montblanc. Knowing that his daughter was a villager just like everybody else, it was with great sadness that the King had to obey the order. The princess began her journey to the dragon´s den – but just as she reached the entrance of the cave, there appeared a gentleman riding a white steed who introduced himself as George, and announced that his mission was to save the princess, and the village from the evil dragon. A great battle commenced between George and the dragon. Finally, the dragon was killed, and the village was free. Legend also has it that in the spot where the dragon died, grew a bush of red roses. This took place on the 23rd of April – and is celebrated with San Jordi, who is the patron saint of Catalonia. Medieval week is commemorated with a dramatisation of the legend of St George in the beautiful town centre, during which the “blood” of the dragon is drunk by the visitors to the fair. There is...
Soviet Constructivism at the CaixaForum, Barcelona
Barcelona´s CaixaForum can always be relied upon for excellent exhibitions on architecture – and it looks like their latest is not going to disappoint. In the last year, the museum has put on two brilliant, extensive shows of two of the most relevant, key architects of their respective times – Italian Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), who is considered one of the most influential and important architects in Western history, and British Richard Rogers, creator of some of the most iconic, innovative architectural works of the 20th and 21st centuries – such as the Paris Georges Pompidou Centre (with Renzo Piano), London´s Lloyd´s building, and terminal 4 of Bajaras airport in Madrid. And now, commissioned by Mary Anne Stevens, is Construir la Revolución. Arte y Arquitectura en Rusia, 1915-1935 (http://obrasocial.lacaixa.es/nuestroscentros/caixaforumbarcelona/construirlarevolucion_es.html), on until the 17th of April. As the name suggests, it is a show dedicated to the art and architecture made in Russia during the period between the 1917 October Revolution, and the establishment of the new Soviet Union. These years were a time of much experimentation and creative activity in all of the art forms – painting, sculpture, design, theatre, literature, cinema – and in particular, architecture, which became marked for its “constructivism;” clean lines and geometric forms; and it is this style movement that is the focus of the exhibition. Architects Mamén Domingo and Ernest Ferré have put together a comprehensive, cohesive montage of 250 works – including large, colour photographs taken by Brit Richard Pare in the last twenty years, archive images, drawings, and paintings lent by the Moscow State Schusev Architecture Museum and the Costakis Collection at...
Barcelona Fetish Weekend
The first Barcelona Fetish weekend will be held between April 15 and 17. The party is hosted by Fetish Movies and expects to summon all lovers of unlimited sexual enjoyment and get closer to the sense of curiosity of those who have not yet been integrated with these sexual practices. The main show will be held at Club Row 14, located near the airport. The site was chosen because of the discretion that its spaces offer for lovers of latex costumes and the different spaces that allow the presentation of different DJs, dancing platforms, performances and audiovisual presentations that promise a high-level party. It also includes spaces for kinky play, dungeons, Shining Stations, dark spaces and places of BDSM fantasy. Naturally, the party could not stand apart from fashion and latex costume design. The Fetish Fair, to be held on Saturday April 16 from 1pm to 6pm at La Maryposa, will present the latest creations and accessories from English designers Rubberluv for all ages and genres in the Fetish Fair. There will be designers, photographers and models to directly display the wonderful creations and the best kinky pictures. This space will be open to emerging artists and kinky clothes and accessories designers, as well as artists who wish to showcase their creations. For those wishing to improve their expressive skills in the Fetish Café and Rosas5 workshops will be organized on intimate mummification, wax, bondage and Shibari. Shibari is a Japanese bondage technique that is performed with extreme sexual sophistication, it’s very subtle and could only be taught by the samurai; it consists of immobilizing first the trunk in...Tribeca
This restaurant situated in the Eixample Esquerre district of Barcelona offers a great variety of Mediterranean plates.
Michelín Stars 2012: The best restaurants in Barcelona and Catalonia
The Michelin Guide is the most prestigious list of the best restaurants in the world and it already has presented its Spain edition for 2012.
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