The master of ceremonies for the evening will be Jorge Avellán, an Emmy Award-winning journalist for MyTV20, Detroit.

Puerto Rican singer Esthér Santiago is scheduled to perform a medley of merengüe selections for guests.  A sampling of Peru’s rich folkloric music will be provided by singing sensation Fatima Poggi.  Other entertainment highlights include a set by DJ Eazy-E and a gala opening performance by Las Flamenquitas, a troupe of flamenco dancers led by Valeria “La Chispa” Montes and representing Southwest Detroit’s COMPAS arts center.

This event kicks off Wayne State’s observance of Hispanic Heritage Month and raises money for the center’s student retention programming.

For more information, please visit the event page at: http://www.specialevents.wayne.edu/cbs.

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ABE 2010

4 Photos

Photos By: Gabriella Muñoz

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This year’s River Days promises to be filled with fun on both land and water.  A 5K race will kick off Saturday morning, while the MGM Grand Boat Parade of Lights will conclude the evening.  There will also be musical acts highlighting the main stage that include Spin Doctors and Lonestar on Friday night, Kimmie Horn and MC Hammer on Saturday, and Blues Traveler concluding the music on Monday night.

Don’t forget to bring the kids to The Parade Company produced event “It’s Easy Being Green” Kids Zone at Rivard Plaza.  Kids Zone events will include face painting, arts and crafts, and live entertainment for the kids that will cover the entire weekend.  To get a full listing of River Days’ events, visit www.riverdays.com.

Besides River Days, the other highpoint will be The Parade Company produced Target Fireworks that will light up the sky on Monday night.  This time honored tradition will take place at 10:06 pm on the Detroit Riverfront.  For the best seats in town, you can attend the VIP Rooftop Party fundraiser that will be filled with great food, entertainment, celebrity meet and greets, and fun for everybody. If you want more information, visit: http://www.theparade.org/.

Author: Gabriella Muñoz

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Approximately 40 of the trendiest restaurants and bars in Detroit participated along with the biggest DJs in town.

One of the highlights in this year’s event offered a new fashionable twist to promote Detroit local designers like William Malcolm, Mark England, Sarah Lipinski, Joe Faris, as well as international designers with Detroit roots: Anna Sui and Tracy Reese. With a new fashion theme, guests experienced the fashion capitals of New York, Miami, Paris, Milan, London, Tokyo and Detroit as performers and models accompanied each theme.

Author: Paola Bravo

Check out the pictures from the fabulous Bravo Bravo 2010 event

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The Movement Electronic Music Festival or DEMF also celebrated a la grand its 10th year anniversary with an exceptional performance by the three founders of Detroit techno—Juan Atkins (aka Model 500), Kevin Saunderson’s (known for his collaboration Inner City), and Derrick May, who were collectively known as The Belleville Three.  This year’s celebration also included live performances by some of my favorites: Richie Hawtin (aka Plastikman), Paco Osuna, Cassy, Chris Liebing, Stacey Pullen, Marco Carola, Ida Engberg.

DEMF was organized around five different stages.  One of the highlights of the festival had to be the live performance and interactive show Richie Hawtin delivered at the Vitamin Water Main Stage Saturday night.  An audio, visual, and physical performance in which he took us to a totally different level of electronic music.  Hawtin also performed at the Beatport Stage, where he stepped in for Ricardo Villalobos, who was unfortunately not able to make the festival.  His incredible live performance at Beatport Stage wove an electric experience for his dancing, sweaty fans.

Another excellent live performance was by four extraordinary female artists at the Made in Detroit Stage included Jenny Lafemme, Punisher, Jen Xerri, Minx and Magda, in which all five ladies had the crowd pumped for their music that exhibited their talent and skills at the turntables.  It was excellent idea for the organizers to dedicate a full day to four extraordinary female DJs.

An interesting performance by Excision at the Red Bull Music Academy Stage introduced me to the Dubstep genre, which appears to be very popular among younger fans.  Dubstep has its roots in London’s darker garage scene since the 2000s.  Also known as 2-step, it is mostly instrumental and offers elements of drum and bass with a touch of dub-influenced techno.  A kind of weird, spontaneous experience for me, Excision definitely had its followers jamming to the dark dubstep mix he had prepared for the festival.

At Movement Torino Stage, fans truly enjoyed DJ sets performed by popular names like Orlando Voom, Marco Carola, Derrick May, I-Robots and Stefano Fontana among others.  What I truly enjoyed about Movement Torino Stage is the feeling of a clubbing scene held outdoors almost as if at a private backyard party with the most amazing house, dance, and techno global DJs—a fabulously extraordinary experience.

It is not surprise that over 95,000 people attended this year’s DEMF—a 15% increase from last year.  Although it has experienced its ups and downs since its inception in 2000, the DEMF makes it clear about the popularity of today’s electronic music.  It has inspired organizers from all over the world to continue the electronic movement not only in Detroit but also around the globe.

An extravagant celebration of electronic music took place in our wonderful city of Detroit.  It has also marked an incredible 10th anniversary in which every single artist has truly shared their talents and skills with all the organizers and people involved who have made this weekend a reality.

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Watch Mi Estilo Magazine’s interview with DJ Rolando, former southwest Detroit DJ, during the Detroit Electronic Music Festival.

Originally from Southwest Detroit, DJ Rolando grew up in a diverse, yet heavily Hispanic neighborhood in which the Latino rhythms heavily influenced him.

His breathtaking debut came when he released “Knights of The Jaguar” in which his DJ skills and experience on the turntables conquered dance floors throughout the world. Although, not Rolando’s first release, “Knights of the Jaguar” provided him with the opportunity to break through other genres of dance music and earned him respect and notoriety in the techno industry.

Currently, Rolando is working and experimenting with new material to be released before the end of the year.

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50 will be unleashing his new Black Magic album.  Is it hip-hop or is it Eurodance? Just wait and see.

This tour will also let us check out songs off of Ludas’ new album Battle of The Sexes.  His seventh album has him returning to form with his trademark combination of tongue in cheek humor wrapped up in his booming voice and thumping club beats.

Come and see 50, Lloyd Banks and Ludacris blow the roof off of Chene Park. Saturday, May 29^th at 8pm.  This is the summer concert not to miss.

For more information or for tickets, go to http://www.cheneparkdetroit.com/.

Author: José A. Rodríguez

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Tosca is everything an opera-lover could want in an opera: beautiful music, a diva soprano already written in, and every main character bites it in the end in truly spectacular fashion. Above all, this opera is about love in all of its incarnations: obsessive love, jealous love and, most importantly, passionately heart-wrenching love.

Cavaradossi, a painter, and his girlfriend, diva soprano Floria Tosca, are madly in love. She, of course, is the highly jealous type and accuses him of infidelity, when she spies his new painting—a beautiful portrait of Mary Magdalene inspired by the woman he saw praying in a chapel. Fast forward: Cavardossi is helping an escaped convict, Angelotti, which inspires the ire of corrupt police chief Scarpia. He’s a mean, underhanded sex machine and he’s loco for Tosca. He uses her jealous suspicion of Cavaradossi to try to weasel information out of her. To make matters worse, Cavaradossi is captured, tortured, and Scarpia suggests that, if Tosca gives her body to him, Cavaradossi will be pardoned and he will order a fake execution.

SPOILER ALERT: Well, things don’t go according to plan. Tosca fends off Scarpia with a knife to the belly. Cavaradossi’s fake execution turns out to be the real thing and Tosca swan dives off of a building. An episode of Blossom this is not.

Mary Elizabeth Williams (Tosca) is a vocal beast that chews the opera’s delicious Italian like a plate of gnocchi. Her voice is forceful, sometimes brash, and also so magnificently supple that it’s like freshly brushed leather. Her singing is only rivaled by her intense stage presence. “Vissi d’arte,” her powerhouse aria, was exceptionally moving. Antonello Palombi (Cavaradossi) has a tenor voice that shakes the walls and his exceptionally musical singing. His chemistry with Williams is palpable and they capture the full gamut of emotions from playfulness to anguish. Todd Thomas (Scarpia) is deliciously sexual. His growling baritone is both agile and gruff.

This production was pretty magnificent and any opera lover should go see it. First timers also encouraged to attend. No matter your level of familiarity with opera, you will not leave disappointed.

Author: Yana Levovna

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“Learning at the Opera House includes programs for people of all ages,” says DiChiera.  ”For over ten years, we have continued to build a legacy of fun, relevant and enriching educational programs.”

• Operetta Camp (July 12-30), a three-week day camp for youth 10-18, is one of the most popular workshops.  The camp introduces students to acting, singing and dancing, as well as voice care. Participants will perform a fully staged and costumed production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta The Mikado on the DOH main stage.  Classes run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday.  The total cost for the program is $425.
• Create & Perform (June 28 – July 9) also returns this year to inspire and engage young writers and performers.  The workshop is a day camp that allows youth 10-18 the opportunity to learn music composition, acting, dancing, creative writing and improvisation.  The workshop also gives students a chance to present what they’ve learned in a live performance.  Classes run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.  The total cost for the Create & Perform workshop is $300.
• Opera Camp and Workshop (July 26-August is an opportunity for college students and adults that aspire to be professional opera singers.  Participants will be given an opportunity for solo and ensemble casting in a day and evening intensive opera camp.  At the completion of the two-week intensive program, students will perform fully costumed and staged opera scenes at the DOH.  Acceptance is by audition only.  Advanced high school students may be considered.  The cost of Opera Camp is $1,000 and runs from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.  Housing, college credit, and scholarships are available on an individual basis.  Opera Workshop, which is held only during the evenings and weekends, costs $500 and runs from 6-9 p.m Monday through Friday and all day Saturday.  Contact Candace de Lattre at (810) 287- 0236 or cdlattre@motopera.org for more information.
• Lens on The City (August 2-4) is a three day inter-generational learning experience held in partnership with Preservation Wayne.  Families or groups of adults and children (ages 8+), will participate in an exclusive tour that will allow them to learn and photograph the interesting historic sites in downtown Detroit, including Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, the main branch of the Detroit Public Library and the Detroit Opera House.  Participants’ photos will be displayed in an exhibit at the Detroit Opera House during the final performance and reception of the Opera Camp and Opera Workshop.  Budding photographers will also receive instruction on photography basics from a professional photographer.  The photography tour starts at 10 a.m. and runs from Monday through Wednesday.  The total cost of the three day tour is $50.

Private voice instruction will also be offered this year.  Voice and music lessons will be conducted by professional voice teachers Candace de Lattre, Betty Lane, Trish Shandor, and composer Karen V. DiChiera.  Private lessons are available year-round at the Detroit Opera House by appointment.  Contact Betty Lane at (313) 237-3238 or by email at blane@motopera.org.

To register, or for more information on any of the Learning at the Opera House programs, log onto www.michiganopera.org or call the Learning at the Opera House hotline at (313) 237-3270.  A complete listing of Learning at the Opera House offerings is available on the MOT website.  Online registration is also available for Operetta Camp, Create and Perform, and Lens on the City workshops.

About Learning at the Opera House

Now in its thirteenth season, Learning at the Opera House has facilitated learning to thousands of young people and adults in our community with a unique offering of classes, workshops and lectures.  MOT’s Department of Community Programs takes pride in providing an atmosphere where people learn and appreciate their own talents and the abilities of others.

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Guests are invited to check out the new collection.

When:  Saturday, May 15 4pm-7pm

Where:  R N’namdi Gallery, Detroit

Fashion Show: 5:15 pm

Launched in 2007, Word Play Tee’s was created to serve as fabrics of confidence.  Each positive messaging, each tee is desgined to showcase individulatity and fun.  Toting the tagline, “What Does it Mean to You” the line speaks for itself.

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