Manoel de Oliveira 1908 - 2015

What a sad day for the World of Cinema. The Portuguese Manoel de Oliveira, believed to be the worlds oldest active Filmmaker, has died at the age of 106…

It’s incredible how only 15 days ago he was still directing!!!!

He worked with international stars like John Malkovich, Catherine Deneuve, Marcelo Mastroianni, received many international awards and had such a young spirit and energy to keep on filming.

The cinema truly lost a big Star!!!!

The 25th Doha International Book Fair

I love books and love to read….So I’m very happy that finally the book fair arrived to Doha!

It will be the 25th edition, a "Silver Jubilee", and will be celebrated with many new and exciting range of activities and events to mark this milestone. 

Together with the book fair, the Doha Cultural Festival will also be held at the same time, so many cultural and interesting activities will be available to everyone.

The book fair will be held from January 7 to 17 at the Doha National Convention Center! 

Can't wait to go there....I love books!!!....

Sixth Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival

The year is stating full of events!!! So you cannot get bored in Doha with so much to do….

Al-Gannas Society is organizing the Sixth Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival in Marmi near Sealine area and in Katara Cultural Village.

This festival and international competition is being held under the patronage of HE Sheikh Joan bin Hamad Al-Thani and his a great opportunity to know and understand better Qatar’s and the Gulf’s culture, traditions and heritage.

I will definitely try to go and see those amazing well trained falcons.

The festival runs every day from 1st to 31st January 2015. The admissions are FREE.

2nd Edition of MAL LAWAL Exhibition

Finally the Al Riwaq exhibition center is opening with a new exhibition. This time is the 2nd edition of the Mal Lawal that will be presenting interesting private collections of Qataris.

Mal Lawal means ‘from the old days’ and its the perfect name that symbolizes all the history and heritage beyond each object.

"Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir officially launched the second Mal Lawal – biennial organized by Qatar Museums.

Mal Lawal is the only event of its kind in the region. A unique showcase of private collections, it blends heritage and culture and celebrates historically and socially significant objects and antiques. The initiative is made possible under the guidance and leadership of HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of #QatarMuseums"

The collection also includes a large collection of rare manuscripts donated by the Emir.

Also in will be showcased a display of contemporary work by three generation of Qatari Artists.

I will pass by for sure and will post some pictures!

The exhibition (next to the Islamic Museum) will be open until January 2015 and the entrance is FREE.

Malala Yousafzai wins Nobel Peace Prize

I’m truly happy Malala Yousafzai and the veteran children’s rights campaigner Kailash Satyarthi, where awarded with Nobel Peace Price for her efforts in the education of women and the expatiation of children respectively.

I guess everyone heard about Malala, or at least that she was shot by a taliban for daring to speak up for the rights of a girl to get education. Well…how wonderful it is to know that exactly two years later she won’s the Nobel Peace Prize that offers no better, and no louder, rebuttal...

Curios, I read her auto-biography when it was released and was definitely inspiring to read about this extraordinary young girl.

"I AM MALALA, The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban By Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb"

The book is truly inspiring and compelling  a girl, only 16 years old witch has experienced and done more than many of us in a entire life! A girl with such brave spirit fighting for girls right to education in her dangerous country Pakistan.

Her biography explains well how determined she is to support liberty, democracy and freedom, principles that should be basic and accessible to everyone. She fast became a prime target for radical extremists and terrorist groups witch leaded her being shot on her way to school!

With that, the taliban not only failed to silence her, but also gave her a tremendous voice in the world, and Malala’s campaign to educate young girls have been gaining more and more supporters and she’s achieving real progress around the world.

Check out Malala foundation and support girls education and most importantly the right for freedom, education and democracy!!!

EID AL FITR Celebrations around Doha

EID Al Fitr in coming very soon, and many events will be held around Doha to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

There as so many events around the city that is impossible to feel bored. There will be shows, fireworks, music, performances and many activities around the Pearl, Katara, Souq Waquif, Cultural Village, several Malls and many other places.

Take a look of all the events with locations, timings and activities here.

QTips: Bite Sized Qatari Cultural Tips

I just came across in Youtube to this super cool webisodes called QTips. Basically it talks about "Bite Sized Qatari Cultural Tips ' that are essentially created for expats to understand better the Qatari culture and etiquette.

Just take a look..I'm sure you will love it!! And fun part you can ask questions online to !!! They will be answered in future episodes.

Here one of them...

Book launch in Lisbon "O Caminho Faz-se A ANDAR"

The number 8 most traveled person in the World, the Portuguese photographer Nuno Lobito is launching tomorrow, 19th June is new book "O Caminho Faz-se A Andar"(By walking you build your path) at Restart - Instituto de Criatividade Artes e Novas Tecnologias  in Lisbon.

I had the pleasure to meet with him and see the book in first hand, so I can assure it is a super interesting book talking about is journey that lead him to be one of the most travelled person in the planet and most travelled in Portugal.

So do not expect to find a photography book, though you will find some inside, you will be lead to a compelling life story that only proves that dreams do come true and its truly worth it to have them.

So if you are in Lisbon, or passing by theres a great opportunity to meet this interesting "men of the world"and buy is book to.

Together with the launch it will be showcasing Nuno Lobito's latest Photography exhibition.

" O Caminho Faz-se A Andar"

Dia 19th June - 19H

Restart - Instituto de Criatividade Artes e Novas Tecnologias 

Rua Quinta do Almargem 10, 1300-490 Lisboa

+351 21 360 9450

To buy the book check out Nuno Lobito page here.

2nd Katara QatART Handmade Market

This Friday a cool event will be hosted in Katara, the second QatART Handmade Market. 

A big variety of handcrafts will be sold, from accessories, paintings, jewelry, clothes, home décor and much more. This small handmade market will encourage and promote the works of the handcrafts and help to create new businesses from the Qatari handmade traditions.

How cool is that!!! It will be fun so participate in some of the hands-on-crafting activities and at the same time learn and help to promote these artists.

Friday, 25th April 2014

3 to 8:30Pm

@Katara Art Studios Courtyard - Building 19

Free Entrance

GR8 Women's Awards 2014 Middle East

Today will be a great night for women in the Middle East, it's the moment of the year where Women are acknowledge across the sub-continent trough their personal and professional excellence!! A nigth full of glamour to celebrate Women in their best!!

After being hosted in India since 2000, a Middle East chapter was introduced and the 4th Gadoya Holdings GR8 Women Awards 2014 Middle East edition and will be hosted today in Dubai.

'The initiative has served as a platform to create awareness about female foeticide, breast cancer, fighting for the cause of the girl child and other issues that plague women.

Dubai’s elite – including industry leaders, corporate heads, dignitaries and entrepreneurs from across fields will be present at a glittering ceremony at Sofitel The Palm, Dubai, on February 15th. 

Awards will be given away to exemplary women who lead and inspire.'

"It will be an evening of grand celebration for a great cause as leading Indian television actors will walk the ramp to honour ‘BETI’, a non-­‐government organization founded by Mrs Anu Ranjan, a strong crusader for women’s empowerment. "

Guests at the gala event will be treated with amazing live performances by popular and famous Bollywood  stars, some of them for the first time in the Middle East, it will be a memorable night dedicated to women in their best full of stars, a exuberant gala show in their honor.

Ms Ranjan said “We are proud to have the Gadoya Holdings GR8 Women Awards 2014 in Dubai for the 4th successful year, showing our continued support for recognizing and applauding women achievers. The award recipients are examples of those women who strive to set the highest possible bar to raise the standards of excellence in whatever they have chosen to do”.

Sachin Gadoya, Chairman Gadoya Holdings “It is our honour and pleasure to extend our support toward the cause and applaud the heroes in our society.”

Cant wait to see the big winners of the night!!!

Souq Waqif Spring Festival...

With so many things to do lately, I completely forgot to talk about the Spring Festival going on in the Souq Waqif….

Once again this cool festival is a great opportunity to seize the good weather outside and the traditional Souq's ambiance that is sparkled with so many interesting and fun activities that you can find in the Festival's schedule. 

On this year's edition you can see many concerts by various Arab singers, traditional performances, Comedy waiters and many types of activities will be around and available.

The admission is Free and will take place in the Souq Waqif premisses (souq alley, main parking, outdoor theater and Al Ahmed Mosque) until the 6th February from 4pm to 10pm everyday.

Traditional Dhow Festival - 2nd Edition

Yesterday was the last day of the Traditional Dhow Festival that took place in Katara.

This Festival is a celebration of the cultural heritage of the region, an heritage with 1300 years that pays tribute to pearl-divers, fisherman's and all families that would rely their lives in the trade that the sea would give them.

It was a really cool event with many activities and shows from Dhow shows, traditional performances, cruising, pearl diving and so on...

I leave you with some pictures of the event!!! 

Photos: the blue chic

Damien Hirst’s “Relics” in Doha

Photo:QMA

Until January 22, 2014, you are able to see the amazing exhibition by Damien Hirst's "Relics"taking place at  QMA's Al Riwaq exhibition hall at the Museum of Islamic Art grounds.

Photo: the blue chic

Photo: the blue chic

It is really worth to go and see the impressive work of this artist, also because it is a unique opportunity to see the largest retrospective over the 25 years of Damien Hirst's iconic work ever to be assembled in one place and in the first solo exhibition in Middle East.

Photo: the blue chic

In "Relics"expect to see a provocative and even a bit shocking pieces that includes dissected animals like sharks, pig, cow, sheep and he's absolutely stunning and renowned skulls incrusted with diamonds (For the Love of God 2007).

Until 30 January 2014

'Damien Hirst: Relics'
Alriwaq Doha

Free Entrance

Closed on Tuesdays

Photos: the bue chic

Museum of Crying Woman - Katara, Doha

Finally had some free free time to go and see some exhibitions still going on in Doha.

One of them,  the Museum of Crying Woman showcasing at Katara until end of this month.

The Italian artist Francesco Vezzoli on his first exhibition in the Middle East gathered portraits of some of the most iconic females of the last century like Elisabeth Taylor, Lady Gaga, Princess Caroline from Monaco and many other influent and famous women from first ladies to fashion Icons and pop culture celebrities...

All the magnificent portraits are embroidered with glittering tears. Looking at the portraits you re imagine their sparkling life's that in fact are just a side of a divided identity, living between walls of the private and the public. The tears are just a anguish reflection of their inner dramas of a divided life and identity.

I'm sure you will be surprised by the artworks displayed in a space that reminds you the Hal of Mirrors in the Palace de Versailles....

Don't forget till November 30, 2013 at QMA GAllery in Katara.

Jazz in the Park @ MIA Park

Now that the weather is getting better, some cool events are finally returning to Doha!!!...

Last Wednesday (25th) the new series of free Jazz Concerts presented by Jazz Lincoln Center (JALC) Doha and St Regis, in partnership with the Museum of Islamic Art just returned to the park.

How awesome, it was a great night, with nice weather with a beautiful scenario as location and best of all, some of the most fine Jazz International Musicians in a 1h concert.

This new series of concerts will go on for the next three months with one concert per month and it's a great opportunity to enjoy the end of the day at a place I love - The MIA Park, that I already talked about here and enjoy great quality music in a great light environment and at least different from St Regis Jazz Club - The Jazz Lincoln Center.

This concert in particular was featuring the very acclaimed New York-based Dominick Farinacci Quartet. Dominic is a jazz trumpeter and composer and will be in Qatar at St Regis Jazz Club until end of September.

There will be three more concerts at MIA Park:

Etienne Charles

Wednesday, 16 October, 7pm - 8pm

Warren Wolf 
Wednesday, 13 November, 7pm - 8pm

Jonathan Batiste
Wednesday, 11 December, 7pm - 8pm

But don't forget also that the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra is returning to the Museum  atrium to host free concerts on the following dates: 

Chamber Music

October 3, 2013

November 7, 2013

December 5, 2013

January 9, 2014

February 6, 2014

March 6, 214

April 3, 2014

May 8, 2014

June5, 2014

Starts at 6:30PM

More info here.

Photos: the blue chic

Concerts for Babies by "Musicalmente" awarded by the YEAH! Young EARopean Award

When you grow up surrounded by musicians in the family, projects like the one I will talk about definitely makes me smile... 

When I was a baby my mother used to calm me down by playing classical music, and peace would return to the house... I still remember being seated on my uncle's lap while he was playing the piano "for me", those moments were truly magical and magnetic and definitely with an important impact in my life.

Music can have a real and great impact on the children's development, music facilitates learning other subjects enhancing skills that they can use in other areas.

The "Concerts for Babies" by Musicalmente from Portugal, have fantastic concept to approach the little ones by music that even allow them to take part and interact in the concerts.

Concerts for Babies
Musicalmente (Paulo Lameiro)
Fotographer: Marta Vidanes

This project among 140 candidates and 15 nominees just won in Osnabrück, Germany the 1st Prize at YEAH! Young EARopean Award in the Innovation Category.

"The competition is looking for imaginative and innovative programmes that really engage children and young people creatively in music whether within the western classical music tradition and/or other music traditions with different cultural roots." YEAH!

"YEAH! is addressed to orchestras and ensembles, theaters and concert halls, composers, musicians, librettists, authors, pedagogues, and artists throughout Europe who tickle the ears with new stage formats and offer forward-looking impulses to international music life. Because music involves the shaping of time – our time. It provides food for thought and brings about encounters over and above any borders." YEAH!

 Gil de Lemos / Musicalmente)

More projects like this one should arise and be more easily available to everyone don't you think?

YEAH! on Facebook here.