Belfast’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade drew thousands to City Hall, as organisers incorporated the upcoming Titanic centennial and the success of local golfer Rory McIlroy into the festivities.

This year’s parade kicked off at 12pm and lasted a full half hour, during which the thousands of spectators were treated to sights including: aerial acrobatics from two machine-operated figures; a float bearing the likeness of current World Number One golfer Rory McIlroy, who hails from Northern Ireland; a special Titanic display to commemorate the upcoming centennial anniversary of the ship’s infamous sinking, as well as to publicise the launch of the new Titanic quarter opening in Belfast; and a 20-ft high float depicting an Olympic athlete carrying the Olympic torch, in honour of this summer’s Games which will take place in London and hopefully by extension attract tourists to Northern Ireland.

The parade was, and has always been, a family-friendly event, with attendees ranging in age from 6 to 60, and almost everybody wearing some sort of themed-clothing. The most popular piece of apparel was undoubtedly the shamrock, which could be seen on lapels, hats, t-shirts and even sunglasses. By the time that the parade had ended, shamrock flags littered Donegall Square.

In other parts of the city, people were treated to a free open-air concert at Custom House Square headlined by Scottish bagpiping act ‘Red Hot Chili Pipers’ and 2011 X Factor contestant Sophia Habibis. Habibis made it to the live finals of the popular British talent show, but was controversially eliminated in the fourth week of the competition. Also at the concert, which maintained the family-friendly feel by being an all-ages affair, were folk band Ashelin and The Royal Tara School of Irish Dance.

It was a day of full-on promotional moves by the city’s most popular bars, with Black Box in particular offering free entry and pints of Guinness for just £2.50, in the hopes of attracting some of the tourists who travel to Belfast and Dublin every year to soak up the ‘Irishnesss’ of the day.

But without question, the place to be was in Fibber Magees Pub in the heart of the city. From 2pm to 2am, local musicians performed Irish music and entertained the packed house, with the establishment’s proximity to Belfast’s popular Europa Hotel making it the number one stop for any and all tourists making their way into Belfast for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

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The 5th Edition of the Lisbon and Estoril Film Festival has certainly ended on a high note. LEFF’11 had all the main ingredients to become its best edition to date (as was predicted last week) but only time could tell if this was truly going to be an edition to remember. The programme promised a week long of high-quality events and it surely delivered.

It is one of the youngest Film Festivals in Europe but other veterans should definitely learn a thing or two from LEFF. Paulo Branco’s Lisbon and Estoril Film Festival proved worthy of the buzz surrounding it in international media outlets.

Every screening began punctually (apart from minor technical glitches) and the price of the admission tickets was very cheap, considering they allowed access to premieres and masterclasses with actors, directors, and producers. Most of the screenings were presented by one of the actors in the film, a movie critic or producer and after it a small discussion regarding the film was held.

According to LEFF’s director Branco, this might have possibly been the best edition yet, and who are we to doubt his words? In a recent interview, Branco also admitted that upcoming editions should be held in both Lisbon and Estoril, in a partnership with Lisbon’s City Hall.

Even though most of the movies shown are not what one would expect to see in a regular movie theater, most of the screenings were sold out and were incredibly entertaining.

All of the movies were divided in categories: the Official Selection, Retrospective, Tribute, Cinemart (including features by Matthew Barney and Yasmina Reza), In Memoriam, Rare Filmmakers, Film Heritage Preservation (with the cooperation of the Martin Scorcese and the World Cinema Foundation), Cinema and History, and several Special Screenings of feature films and television series.

The big winner of the Festival was Twilight Portrait, by Angelina Nikonova, as it took home the award for Best Feature. Twilight Portrait tells the story of a social worker who decides to take on her dramatic past and it is Nikonova’s debut as a film director. Cédric Kahn’s Une Vie Meilleure won the Special Jury Award – João Bénard da Costa, as well as the Cineuropa Award.

Other special mentions include Here I am, by Bálint Szimler and Aman (Safe and Sound) by Ali Jaberansari. LEFF ended on a winning streak as Almodóvar’s latest (The Skin I Live In) was shown to an eager audience in Lisbon, with the presence of Jan Cornet and Marisa Paredes. In Estoril, Melancholia by Lars Von Trier closed the Festival but hopefully LEFF’s next edition will come soon enough.  

cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

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Every second Tuesday of September a small town tucked in the middle of Spain, Tordesillas, holds an annual event that draws 45.000 visitors. A bull is lanced, speared and harassed to death by 500 men in the name of culture and tradition, this event has been happening since 1453.

‘El Toro De La Vega’ is one of the many controversial ‘Blood Fiestas’ that take place in villages and cities all over Spain every year. ‘Blood Fiestas’ and ‘Bullfighting Shows’ are different though both of them use, or according to animal rights activists abuse, bulls in order to carry out these kind of festivals.

While bullfighting shows take place in a bullfighting ring commonly known as ‘plaza de toros’ and have designated bullfighters or Toreros, ‘Blood Fiestas’ normally happen on streets, squares or entire towns where people gather to enjoy themselves.

Bullfighting and blood fiestas are considered part of Spain’s cultural patrimony and therefore millions of Euros are granted every year by The EU, central government, and local authorities to support what they claim is Spain’s unique art form.

Some of these bull-related events are worldwide known such as ‘San Fermines: The Running Of The Bulls’ where bulls and runners zigzag down the narrow streets of Pamplona but some others like ‘El Toro De La Vega’ involve what detractors state is an out-dated form of animal torture that shouldn’t be happening nowadays.

Tourists and even locals are often unaware of the real damage and harm the bull has to go through in Tordesillas because of a well-designed shielding campaign that surrounds the event.

There are several non-written policies that prohibit the use of cameras especially when the bull is being taken down, which endangers even more the work of the many photographers, journalists, not to mention undercover activists. Last year ‘El Intermedio’, a popular Spanish TV show sent a crew to Tordesillas with one goal: find some locals who were not in favor of this event.

The results were astonishing, on camera everyone seemed to agree with the tradition and the few who didn’t would only confess under the condition that their faces had to be blurred out and their names kept secret. Every year animal rights activists collect signatures and schedule various demonstrations to show their disapproval of the event.

They post videos, share ideas, and a couple of days before the event is set to be held, they show up in Tordesillas facing the local hostility of those who defend their right to enjoy their traditions. ‘Afligido’ (Spanish for sorrowful) was the 1300-pound bull that was previously hand-picked for this year’s edition.

Last September 13^th a lancer on foot struck the fatal stab that brought Aflijido down to a cheerful crowd that applauded the lancer’s courage. The lancer will be honored at the town hall and dub local hero before his neighbor’s eyes.

On his way through the village, Aflijido wounded two people but it was later announced that both men’s injuries were not severe unlike 17 other participants, that had to receive medical treatment after a woman pulled a pepper spray bottle out of a bag and attacked some of the attendees.

She was believed to be an undercover protestant that hid in the crowd before she turned on the audience, causing respiratory problems and panic attacks. The activist was arrested after some Toro de La Vega supporters held her down and unleashed their rage on her.

Tradition or cruelty? While supporters and activists duke it out on the streets, demonstrations and debates, Afligido has already lost this battle.

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The summer festival Rock en Seine, was held in Paris on the last weekend of August. The 9th edition of the Rock en Seine festival took place on the Park of Domaine National de Saint Cloud, asuburban area very closed to Paris, from August Friday 26 to Sunday 28. This eclectic music manifestation welcomed around 108,000 visitors who enjoyed the art of 63 bands.

During these three days, the audience was able to appreciate numerous styles of music. Each category of bands/singers were performing on 4 different stages. Each stage represente d a type of artist. The bigger stage (Grande Scène), with a most important audience and usually for the most popular bands, the Scène de l’Industrie, the Scène de la Cascade and the Scène Pression Live.

Every year, this festival presents a programme of various performers that always tend to outdo the ones of the previous years. The concerts were composed of rock music, folk, groove, hip-hop and electro. For many years, Rock en Seine kept some kind of balance between top of the bill bands and others which are willing to be known, mixing both type of bands on the same stage.

Plus, the Parisian festival remained faithful to the idea of having a show with French and international performers. We can say that the festival has come a long way from the first edition, nine years ago, which used to last a day. The festival back then only took place on two stages.

The festival started on Friday, with Biffy Clyro, an alternative-metal band from Scotland. We also had the pleasure to see Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters, The Kills, CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy: fed up to be sexy, an electo-pop band), Kid Cuddy, Herman Dune (folk), Death in Vegas and many others.

Saturday included music from the Arctic Monkeys, The Streets, Hushpuppies, Keren Ann, CocoRosie, BB Brunes, The Wombats, and Blond Redhead. The last day included a 30 musician orchestra which amazed the audience. Fans of neo metal were more than delighted to prove that they remember the Deftones’ songs.

My Chemical Romance, Simple Plan, Tinie Tempah, Lilly Woods and the Pricks and many others performed to make this week end unforgettable. A specificity of the festival is Mini Rock Festival for children, to teach them how to be the rock stars of the future, with games and fancy clothing.

If you want to see more of French music festival, look forward to La fête de l’Huma, which has great importance and will be in September.
Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabionascimento/

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In the barren Black Rock Desert of Nevada, people and resources are scarce. But once a year, thousands of participants join together for the annual Burning Man Festival. 2011’s Burning Man took place from August 29 to September 5, where nearly 50,000 people from around the world created a temporary city in the desert, making it the most populous community in the county for that time.

Burning Man is not your ordinary festival with headlining performances by famous musicians. It is a distinct festival because there are no rules, aside from keeping the community safe and clean. Stepping into the temporary society of Burning Man is a unique experimental experience.

Burning Man has set foundations in creating a community where one has not existed before. Thousands of people come together with their own resources and supplies they will need to survive throughout the week in the desert. Participants in Burning Man camp out in the desert during the duration of the festival and rely on themselves as well as other people in the community.

People are encouraged to participate in the makeshift community as much or as little as they want, knowing that their own contribution to Burning Man has an impact on the festival as a whole. Strong bonds are formed and self exploration is highly encouraged.

Burning Man has strong roots in self expression and art. Each year, the festival has a theme for the artwork presented. For 2011’s Burning Man, the theme  was Rites of Passage. All across the temporary community, art installations are presented and people are often inspired to create their own art as well.

The Rites of Passage theme was chosen to signify the change people go through while attending the festival, as well as the emotions that surface when people loose cherished loved ones.

Based on the Rites of Passage theme, participants are known to dress up in costumes throughout the festival in forms of self expression. Art installations pop up around the temporary city as people enjoy their new forms of extreme reliance on themselves and one another to survive throughout the week long period. There are performances and theme camps, as well as dramatic sculptures.

The Center Camp Café is one of the popular spots where performances are ongoing. Musical performances by the participants of Burning Man usher in a wide variety of genres, including jazz, marching bands, and experimental music. The overall energy of the Café is geared to inspiring people with their talents and bringing a positive, social environment for all who wish to join in.

Comedy shows, spoken word performances, and even magicians are also highlights of the artistic acts that express their talents at the Center Camp Café.

The Fire Conclave is another key component of the dominant self expression theme throughout Burning Man. A group of people perform a scheduled fire show that signifies the spirit of life. People who attend Burning Man gather around the massive fire ceremony to dance and play drum beats while the performance goes on.

Participation in this event  are  said to bring together the community and to strengthen the bonds of its members. Burning Man takes a strong stance towards assuring that the Black Rock Desert is not negatively harmed by pollution. Burning Man believes in being a Leave No Trace Event.

Even though thousands of people come together for a week in the harsh desert, there is no trace of them once they leave. Participants of Burning Man believe in protecting the environment by continuously recycling and taking sustainable measures to make sure the Black Rock Desert remains just the way they found it.

The week long journey into Burning Man is one full of conscious awareness of the environment, ongoing art performances, and extreme self expression. Experiencing Burning Man is a unique way to participate in a festival that is truly one of a kind.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelholden/

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Spain celebrates the San Juan’s night one year more. The night of June 23 is the shortest night of the year which means that summer has just arrived. As mythology says that is a night in which weird things happens, and some of the pagan gods make themselves visible. It’s a magical night full of traditions, legends and rituals with two staring: the water and the fire.

Despite the fact that the summer solstice at the Northern hemisphere is on June 21, the night of the 23 is celebrated as the shortest. In Spain the dawn of the 23 means the beginning of the different parties and festivals that will take place in several Spanish cities during the summer.

In Spain each city celebrates the San Juan’s night based on its own traditions. However, all of them have one thing in common: the fire.

The main ritual consists of lighting up a bonfire in order to make the sun ‘stronger’. This festival is not only about tribute to the sun, but also to purify the human being’s sins. Water and fire are the elements that play the most important role this night; water purifies and fire burns the past to start a new period.

Origin: Traditions and Legends

The origin of the San Juan’s night festival is pagan. One of its precedents is the Beltaine Celtic celebration. The name means ‘beautiful fire’ and it was an annual festival in honor of Belenos god. During this celebration people lit up several bonfires in order to jump over them. The cattle also had to go through the fires to purify it and defend it against some illnesses.

That festivity was Christianized in honor of San Juan Bautista to celebrate his birth. According to the Bible, Zacary, San Juan’s father, didn’t believe that his wife was pregnant and when she gave birth, he lit up some bonfires to warn the rest that his son was born.

Since then, there exist a lot of traditions that Spaniards usually do when this night arrives -

• According to some ancient traditions those who wash their faces in the sea water that midnight keep their beauty forever.
• Others say that when the first sunshine brights on the sunrise of the 24 the water fountain, and river water turns magical and it acquires specials powers to heal people.
• Jumping three times over a bonfire, clean and purify people making their problems disappear.
• It’s also common to get your feet wet in the water at midnight in order to make the bad spirits disappear.
• Others just write theirs wishes on a paper to burn it at the bonfire and to make them true.

Regarding to Spain, one of the most popular cities in which this festival takes place is Alicante. In fact it has been declared as an international cultural heritage for the tourism. The characteristic that makes this festival more attractive than the others is the artistic bonfires, also known as ‘Ninnots’. Ninnots are artistic monuments made of wood, cork, cardboard and paint that represent satirical situations. They are made of this material with the objective of burning them after special fireworks at the Benacantil hill.

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The weatherman may be forecasting a blazing summer, but we’ll be keeping it cool this August at the 11th Annual Summer Meltdown Festival. Attendees from around the country flock to the Cascade foothills of Darrington, Washington (75 miles northeast of Seattle) to camp, dance, and have fun in the sun. At the Whitehorse Mountain Amphitheater, an eclectic and varying mix of West Coast talent keeps the party going non-stop at this multi-day festival.

The event is hosted by Terra Roots, a non-profit that supports social connections and sustainability through art, and the Seattle band Flowmotion.

Artists this year include a wide array of bands and dj’s, from Juno What?! to SambaDa to DJ Logic and many more. Genres include Electro Funk, Rock, Reggae, Punk, Folk, Blues… I couldn’t list them all. Looks like we’ll have a great crowd this year, the melting pot of cultures and sounds the West Coast is known for.

Tickets are on sale now for the August 12-14 event, priced at $155 for a weekend pass (Thursday through Sunday). If you can’t make it to a local outlet, tickets can be purchased online for a small transaction fee. Compared to the well-known California fixture Coachella Music Festival, which boasts weekend tickets around $300 dollars (not to mention the exorbitant scalper prices when tickets sell out), this 4 day pass is a steal. Doors open at 5 pm on Thursday and 10 am the rest of the weekend, ensuring several long days of hot, family-friendly fun. Don’t forget the sunblock!

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/1yen/

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