Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Viva Vancouver! on Granville Street

Mexico Vivo Folklore and Salsa ballet at Viva Vancouver on Granville street
Updated 2012: This year Viva Vancouver - Carnaval del Sol is on June 30th.

 Mexico Vivo Folklore and Salsa Dance troupe will be performing at LATINCOUVER Carnaval Del Sol . Show is at 3p.m. at the Main Stage. Presenting dances from: Yucatan, Nayarit Mestizo y Jalisco.


Viva Vancouver 2011
Lots of fun on the first weekend of Viva Vancouver on Granville street!

Downtown Granville street in Vancouver is transformed to a pedestrian street every weekend this summer thanks to Viva Vancouver, a program of the City Of Vancouver that includes community events and activities  presented every weekend starting June 25.

RedBull Skateboard Show - Viva Vancouver on Granville street

The events and activities presented on the first weekend included a  RedBull Skateboard show on Saturday June 25 and Carnaval del Sol on Sunday 26. The show on Sunday was a Latin American festival that included street vendors offering traditional Latin American food, and also the participation of several Vancouver based Latin American musicians and artists like Mexican Ballet "Mexico Vivo Folklore and Salsa".

Mexico Vivo Folklore and Salsa at Viva Vancouver on Granville street
Week 2 promises to be a big success too as everybody is invited to dance Argentinian Tango on Saturday and there will be presentations of Breakdance Hip-Hop.
For more information visit Viva Vancouver site.


Viva Vancouver -  The pedestrian plaza with bright tables, chairs and umbrellas on Granville street

Viva Vancouver - playing "futbolito" mini football at Granville street
Guelaguetza dances by Mexico Vivo at Viva Vancouver

Viva Vancouver - Granville Street

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Vancouver International Jazz Festival in Gastown

Vancouver  Jazz Festival Jasper Sloan Yip

Check: Vancouver Jazz Festival 2013 June 22,23 Downtown Vancouver at Robson Square & Vancouver Art Gallery 

Vancouver Jazz Festival Gastown 2011

Gastown has that charm of the old and antique. With its beautiful restored old elegant buildings is the perfect scenery for musical outdoors concerts. That's how people experienced yesterday the Vancouver Jazz Festival. Lots of people gathered at the two outdoor venues and also restaurants and bars where concerts were presented.
The two outdoors venues are The Maple Tree Square Stage and Steam Clock Stage were musicians like Jasper Sloan Yip and Sharon Minemoto Trio offered great concerts yesterday. There are also different kiosks with entertainment and information of different organizations and companies.

Gastown Jazz continues today all day Sunday. Come Downtown and enjoy Summer with Jazz Music!
More Information: Vancouver International Jazz Festival

Steam Clock Stage
Maple Tree Square Stage audience
Sharon Minemoto Trio - Vancouver Jazz Festival
Vancouver Jazz Festival at Gastown
Vancouver Coop Radio - World Poetry Cafe host Alejandro Mujica and Stark Raven host 

Saturday, June 25, 2011

So, What's a coyote doing at the SkyTrain's Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver?

Coyote at the SkyTrain's tracks of  the Waterfront Station in Vancouver
We saw this coyote at the SkyTrain's Waterfront station looking towards Canada Place. Not sure if in this case one should call SPCA or some other department.





Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Mexican Surrealism in The Colour of My Dreams: The Surrealist Revolution in Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery

Leonora Carrington - The House Opposite - Source centroinvestigaciones.blogspot.com
The Colour of My Dreams is the largest surrealist art exhibition ever presented in Canada and includes pieces from Mexican artists like Diego Rivera, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, British-Mexican Leonora Carrington as well as Austrian-Mexican Wolfang Paalen.

Some of the surrealists works in the exhibition are part of Sir Edward James trust, a supporter of the surrealist Art movement who built an incredible surrealist garden in the jungle of  Xilitla in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. 

Surrealist Gardens of Sir Edward James in Xilitla, San Luis Potosi, Mexico


The Secret Life of Edward James a great George Melly's documentary film from 1975 uploaded in YouTube by pangolinblues user. It was filmed in Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico City and Essex, England

Mexican Phographer Manuel Alvarez Bravo is considered the main representative of Latin American photography. His work was recognized by Andre Breton, the father of the Surrealist Movement, who asked him to photograph  a cover for a Surrealists Catalogue. That photograph is "La Buena Fama Durmiendo" (The Good Reputation Sleeping) which never made it to the cover because of the full-frontal nudity.
Manuel Álvares Bravo - Los Agachados 

Austrian-Mexican Wolfang Paalen, who following an invitation by Frida Kahlo, settled in Mexico in 1939. He with André Breton and Cesar Moro curated the first surrealist exhibition in Mexico in the Galeria de Arte Mexicano.
Wolfgang Paalen - Taches Solaires

During a visit to Mexico Andre Breton met Diego Rivera and Russian revolutionary Leon Trosky who at the time was exiled in Mexico and  living in the house of Frida Khalo and Diego Rivera. Andre Breton and Leon Trotsky wrote "Towards a Free Revolutionary Art Manifesto" in Mexico where Diego Rivera was a co-signatory.
Diego Rivera, Léon Trotsky and André Breton in Mexico
Diego Rivera, The Communicating Vessels (Homage to André Breton),


The Surreelists - An Inspired Film Series

The Surreelists movies is a complement to the Vancouver Art Gallery's exhibition and includes several Mexican Films.
The films are shown at The Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour Street. For more information about the movies and when are they shown click on the name of the movies below:

- Santa Sangre (Mexico,1989) Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky
- El Topo (Mexico,1970) Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky
- Viridiana (Spain/Mexico, 1961) Directed by Luis Buñuel
- The Exterminating Angel (Mexico, 1962) Directed by Luis Buñuel


More info:
May 28 Through October 2, 2011
750 Hornby Street, Vancouver
BC V6Z 2H7
Info Line: 604.662.4719
Administration: 604.662.4700 

Gallery Hours 
Daily 10 am to 5 pm
Tuesdays until 9 pm

VIFF Vancity Theatre 
Vancouver International Film Centre
1181 Seymour St

Vancouver, BC
CANADA V6B 3M



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