ARA MALIKIAN TO PERFORM LIVE FROM CORTEFIEL SHOP WINDOW

The violist Ara Malikian will be offering a live concert on February 27, from the Cortefiel shop window at Gran Via, 27 from 1130 am!

The concert will also be video streamed on social networking sites for fans of the brand and broadcast on a giant outdoor screen for the general public.

For one morning, the window of Cortefiel’s Gran Via store will come to life as a stage for the famous Lebanese violinist, Ara Malikian. He will perform a repertoire of his favourite music to launch Cortefiels’ “Talented People” initiative. Malikian is the star of this new campaign, just as chef Mario Sandoval and mountaineer and children’s storybook writer Araceli were for “Courageous People”.

“Talented People” http://gentecontalento.cortefiel.com is a Cortefiel initiative whereby they collaborate with role models with something to say. Cortefiel wants to democratise fashion, by telling stories with which everyday people can identify. Here, fashion and violin music come together to do just this.

About the artist
Ara Malikian is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant and passionate violinists of his generation. Born in Lebanon to an Armenian family, he began playing the violin at a very early age, taught by his father. He gave his first concert at 12 and at 15 received a grant by the German Government (DAAD) to study at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover. He then continued his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, whilst also being taught by some of the most respected teachers in the world such as Franco Gulli, Ruggiero Ricci, Ivri Gitlis, Herman Krebbers and members of the Alban Berg Quartet. His relentless passion for music and humanity led Ara Malikian to immerse himself in his Armenian roots and assimilate music from a variety of different cultures from around the world - the Middle East (Arab and Jewish); Central Europe (gypsy and kletzmer), Argentina (tango) and Spain (flamenco) – to create a unique sound which blends their rhythmic and emotional power with the fluidity and finesse of the great classical European tradition. (www.aramalikian.com)

Madrid goes crazy for San Isidro celebrations!

The San Isidro Festival (the patron saint of Madrid) is a time when the madrileños come together to celebrate their city. The festivities take place over a number of days; this year it will be from 11th-15th May, with 14th being San Isidro Day itself. If you're going to be in the city, there will definately be a carnival buzz in the air. The city hall has plenty of events organised with everything from concerts, dancing and parades. On the nights of the 13th, 14th and 15th May, the newly remodelled river zone will host a very spectacular river of fire. Concerts wil be taking place at the university campus and the Vistillas Gardens and on the streets of Lavapiés, there will be street theatre. Also the Sabatini Gardens next to the royal palace will host a mass open air dance event with plenty of classics from Hollywood movies from over the last decades to dance along to. You can see the whole programme of events here.

The festival has been celebrated for many years. Madrileños traditionally used to flock to the Pradera de San Isidro, open fields next to the river near the Toledo bridge (although it has long been concreated over). However one tradition which still stands is the Pasacalles parade, where giant figures are marched through the streets of central Madrid. You can catch it on the 11th at 5.30pm and it will go through Sol, along Calle Alcalá and on to Plaza Cibeles. If you head to some of the more traditional neighbourhoods such as La Latina or the area around Plaza Mayor, you'll find plenty of people dressed up in traditional Madrid costume, and many of the streets and shops will be decorated. Not to be missed!

Madrid decorated for San Isidro

Traditional Madrid costume

Real Madrid v Barcelona- El Clásico 16/4

Tomorrow is one of the most anticipated games in the Spanish football calendar, the clásico Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Bernabéu Stadium, and Madrid will certainly be looking for revenge after a humiliating 5-0 defeat at Nou Camp earlier on in the season.  If you want to go to the match, it sold out ages ago, then again you can always take a risk with a ticket tout if you are willing to pay through the nose. However it should be no problem finding bars showing the game on TV, but arrive early to get a space as they will be rammed full. The game kicks off at 10pm.


Come on the Whites!

Corteo- Cirque du Soleil make a return to Madrid

The world famous Cirque du Soleil will be making return to Madrid to present a new production, Corteo. It promises to be a very lively and colourful performance with lots of comedy, presented in the style of a carnival parade seen through the eyes of a clown. The show will run from 2nd April until 5th June at the Escenario Puerta de Ángel, and ticket prices range from 40€-199€ with cheaper rates for kids. Here's a taster video and from what we've seen, it looks very spectacular! For more details and tickets, visit the Cirque du Soleil website.

Noche de los Teatros comes to the metro!

As a warm up to Saturday's Noche de los Teatros (Theatre Night), on Thursday and Friday Madrid's metro users will be able to catch series of mini-theatre pieces taking place in metro carriages and on the station platforms. Transport users themselves will be encouraged to join in with the acts and Sol station will become the 'KM Zero of Theatre'. It will certainly make the commute to work more fun! The Corte Inglés too will be getting involved with the event. They have decorated the front of their Calle Preciados store with pieces of theatre clothing created by famous Spanish designers Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and Jesús del Pozo.

To find out more about Noche de los Teatros, see our post

Noche de los Teatros (Theatre Night)

Each year the Comunidad de Madrid offers a special night of theatre, dance and music with reduced entry price of up to 50%, and this years fifth edition will be taking place on Saturday 26th March. In total there will be 170 performances at 120 venues, with something for everything including comedy, story telling and special events for kids taking place consecutively across seven hours. As there are so many events taking place, we can't list them all here, but there are up on the Noche de los Teatros website (Spanish only). 

OMExpo Madrid

Taking place this Wednesday and Thursday is one of Spain's most important digital marketing conferences and trade fairs. It will be held at the Feria de Madrid (IFEMA), near Campo de las Naciones. The event is free, although you need to register beforehand. We recommend coming along to anyone interested in online marketing, PR and social media, and it will be a great opportunity to network with many industry professionals attending.

See the OMExpo website for more information

Carnival time in Madrid

Madrid is gearing up for the Mardi Gras Carnival (carnavales in Spanish) celebrations which start this coming Thursday and run until Wednesday 9th March. There will be many events happening in Madrid, however the highlight is the giant street parade taking place on Saturday 5th March. From 7.30pm, floats bearing papier maché models of famous people will be making their way along the streets of Madrid to the Cibeles Fountain accompanied by music, dance and fireworks. The festivities then move to the Circulo de Bellas Artes, where its annual fancy dress party and competition will be held. One of the strangest carnival traditions is the burial of the sardine, which happens on Ash Wednesday and marks the end of the celebrations. This dates back centuries, in fact Goya even produced a painting depicting it. The burning and burial of the sardine represent the destroying of excesses, so that a new start can be made. It's not quite clear why a sardine is chosen to be sacrificed; it could be that they were seen as a symbol of fertility and new life, or perhaps because the word sardine resembles cerdín (pig), which were traditionally slaughtered on this day.

The carnival programme is as follows:

Thursday 3rd March- Saturday 5th March
REC. A number of concerts combining electronic music with audiovisuals taking place at several music venues across the city.

Friday 4th March
 The first night of Carnival is known as Noche de los Locos (Night of the Crazy People).

From 6pm- a series of parades taking place in Plaza Mayor and its neighbouring streets. This will feature the comedy parade Crispados, and the Fundación Cultural Chiminigagua, a circus group from Colombia who will be performing funny sketches on roller-stilts and acrobatics.

Odysseus o El Viaje Imaginario 8.30pm in Plaza Mayor. French theatre group, Karnavires will perform an adpated version of Homer's Odyssey, which magically combines theatre with the use of pyrotechnics.


Saturday 5th March
Carnival Parade, from 7.30pm. Route: Paseo de Coches del Retiro - O´Donnell - Alcalá - Cibeles - Recoletos - Colón. Performers from all over the world will be taking part in this extravagant event.

Masquerade Ball and Fancy Dress Competition, from 11pm, Circulo de Bellas Artes. Open to the first 40 inscriptions only.

Sunday 6th March
OPERAación, Plaza de Oriente, 11.30am and 2.30pm. A fun session for kids to learn about opera and have a go at composing their own.


Chirigotas de Madrid, street performances in Plaza de Callao from 12pm. The displays include street musicians, pranksters and carnival acts.

Tuesday 8th March
Concierto Extraordinario de Carnival, Teatro Mounmental (Atocha 65), 7pm. The Madrid Symphony Band will give a concert of carnival music. Tickets 3€-10€.




Wednesday 9th March
Funeral of the Sardine, parade from San Antonio de la Florida to Plaza de las Moreras, Casa del Campo, starts 6pm. Carnival comes to end with the quirky ritual of the burying of the sardine.

You can find out more about the Carnavales events by visiting http://carnaval.esmadrid.com (only in Spanish).

Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week

The fashion world will have its eyes on Madrid over the coming days as it celebrates its 53rd fashion week. Big names in Spanish fashion such as Adolfo Dominguez, Agatha Ruíz Prado and TCN will be amongst the 45 designers showing off their autumn-winter collections on the Cibeles catwalk. Futhermore, the event offers opportunities for 40 young designers to present their designs to the fashion industry in a effort to encourage new Spanish talent. The event places great emphasis on social media, with a blogger zone and the Soy Cibelino Competition on Facebook. 

The event takes place at the IFEMA (Feria de Madrid) between 18-23rd February.

Free theatre tickets in exchange for a kiss!

This Friday 11th, the Último Minuto ticket office will give out a free pair of tickets to the first 50 couples who kiss and say the words 'un beso, una entrada' (a kiss, a ticket) as a special Valentines Day promotion. The ticket office is on Plaza del Carmen (near Sol) and the offer begins at 17:00 this Friday. Those lucky enough to get tickets will be able to chose from a range of shows and tickets will be valid for performances between 12th- 20th February. This initiative is organised by the Comunidad de Madrid and the Fundación Caja Madrid, and follows similar events held in Paris, London and New York.

List of participating shows: Teatro Alfil (Brokers,
Descubriendo la ópera), Teatro Arenal (Por los pelos),
Teatro Arlequín (Jamming, Mírate en el espejo), Teatro Cámara de Chejov
(Noches blancas), Teatro Casa de Vacas (Distopias en Venus, Freak
Mummy), Teatro Espada de Madera (Cientos de pájaros te impiden volar),
Teatro Galileo (Juan solo en casa), Teatro Guindalera (Calderón
enamorado), Teatro Lagrada (El viaje de alegría, Duendín), Teatro Lara
(Caperucita Roja, Contraacciones, Mis primeras cuatro estaciones), Teatro
Liberarte (Cenicienta), Teatro Maravillas (Tócala otra vez, Sam), Teatro
Marquina (Al final del arcoiris), Teatro Muñoz Seca (España baila
flamenco), Teatro Nudo (Planeta Juego), Teatro Nuevo Alcalá (Avenue Q),
Teatro Nuevo Apolo (Annie, el musical. Peter Pan, el musical), Teatro
Príncipe Gran Vía (TOC TOC), Teatro Reina Victoria (Cinco horas con
Mario), Teatro Rialto Movistar (40, el musical), Teatro Sala Tis (II Veladas
entre artes), Teatro Victoria (El avaro, Los miserables, Un marido de ida y
vuelta) y Teatros del Canal (Coro Joven en concierto).
  

MadridFusion 2011 25th-27th January

Some of the world's top chefs including Ferran Adrià, Pierre Gagnaire and Heston Blumenthal will be in Madrid for the 9th edition of MadridFusion, a three day event of workshops, demonstrations and talks relating to gastronomy. Each day has a different theme; Tuesday focuses on science and cooking, Wednesday centres on new trends and innovation, whilst managing talent and and commercial success are the topics for Thursday. The live events will be translated simultaneously into English, Spanish and French.

MadridFusion 2011 takes place between 25th and 27th January at the Feria de Madrid (IFEMA). Registration costs 10€ and can be done here. For more details about the different events, speakers and other practical information, visit the MadridFusion website.

3D light shows in Plaza Mayor

Movistar are putting on a stunning 3D light show in Plaza Mayor every night until 31st December.  As yet we don't have a video of the lights, but looking at this YouTube video of a similar event, we think they're not to be missed if you are going to be in Madrid at the New Year period

New Year's Eve in Madrid

The main New Year's celebrations in Madrid take place in Puerta del Sol, where madrileños congregate outside the Casa de Correos (the building with the clock tower) to see in the New Year. If you decide to go along, don't forget to bring a bunch of grapes, as at the stoke of midnight Spanish tradition dictates that one should eat twelve grapes to bring luck for the coming year. However, you musn't swallow them until you have all twelve grapes in your mouth. This might take a bit of practice! After everyone's eaten their grapes, the real party kicks off with lots of fireworks and light shows. We must warn you that it does get very packed out at Sol and things get a little crazy at midnight!

Nochevieja in Madrid

If you want to see more about how Madrid prepares for New Year's Eve, we've found an interesting little video in Spanish about getting the clock on the Casa de Correos ready for the big night. http://plink.es/1yfr

AVATAR BluRay launch in Madrid

Last Thursday Madrid is User Friendly went along to the launch event of the AVATAR BluRay and extended version DVD at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, where one ton of popcorn with 100 prizes hidden inside was dropped from a giant popcorn box. The event attracted hundreds of AVATAR fans, some of whom had been waiting patiently in line since 9am. Unfortunately only one hundred people could take part, so many fans left the Bernabéu disappointed. However there was a prize for all participants and with the lucky ones walking away with 3D televisions and luxury holidays to Thailand.

Flashmob on the Metro!

Last Sunday morning around 250 people descended upon Nuevos Ministerios metro station to take part in a Michael Jackson Flashmob, which was organised by Madrid en Danza (an international dance festival taking place in the city this month). We thought we would leave you the video!

Avatar Bluray Launch Event in Madrid- 100 prizes to give away!

In order to celebrate the launch of the DVD and Bluray of Avatar, the multiaward winning, record-smashing movie by James Cameron, 20th Century Fox España are holding a special event where 100 exclusive prizes can be won. Prizes include a luxury holiday, a 3D television and Bluray players. To be in with a chance of winning a prize, all you have to do is go to the Santiago de Bernabéu Stadium at 6pm on Thursday 25th November wearing blue. Go early as you need to be one of the first 100 to arrive! You can find out more on the Facebook event created by 20th Century Fox Entertainment España.

MTV EMA in Madrid- Linkin Park, Kings of Leon and Katy Perry In Concert

Madrid is gearing up to host the MTV European Music Awards, the biggest and glitziest music prize in Europe. Although getting an actual ticket to the awards might be out of the question for many, to compensate the organisers will be giving a huge free concert in Plaza de la Independencia (next to Puerta de Alcala) on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night will feature mainly Spanish artists like Fangoria, David Bisbal and El Efecto Mariposa and Sunday will see big name international stars Linkin Park and Katy Perry take to the stage. The concerts start at 6pm and finish around 10pm. Be warned that the area around Calle Alcalá will be closed off to traffic over the weekend so expect transport delays.

A preview of Madrid en Danza

The 25th annual Madrid en Danza festival starts next week with big names from the world of dance arriving in Madrid, and we thought we'd let you have a preview of what to expect. We will be covering the event in depth over the comnig few weeks on the blog and on our website.

Millesime Madrid- exclusive gourmet event

This week the very exclusive Millesime gastronomic fair is taking place is taking place in Madrid. Over a three day period, many of Spain's most recognised chefs and top restaurants will be there and visitors will have the chance to enjoy their exquisite cuisine. There will also be a number of workshops and demonstations taking place.

The event is on at the Recinto Ferial at Casa de Campo and runs until 22nd October.

For more details visit the Millesime website