DOHA 31°C—39°C TODAY LEISURE 12 & 13 D LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE 14 L L Dhul-Hijja 7, 1437 AH Friday, September 9, 2016 Community Tonino Lamborghini will deck Pearl lounge at Doha Marriott in its style for an upcoming Bollywood party. Community Keyboards whiz Alexandre Destrez says electro- jazz brings a festive and high energy vibe to young audiences. P7 P16 COVER STORY OUT OF SPACE: Actors Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner and James Doohan from the original Star Trek series. The show premiered 50 years ago as one of the new shows on NBC’s 1966-1967 schedule. The great Enterprise Star Trek has turned five-year mission into 50-year journey. P2-3
lounge at Doha Marriott in its style for an upcoming Bollywood party.
CommunityKeyboards whiz Alexandre
Destrez says electro-jazz brings a festive and high energy vibe to young audiences.
P7 P16
COVER
STORY
OUT OF SPACE: Actors Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner and James Doohan from the original Star Trek series. The show premiered 50 years ago as one of the new shows on NBC’s 1966-1967 schedule.
The great EnterpriseStar Trek has turned five-year mission into 50-year journey. P2-3
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Launched in 1966, Star Trek went from a struggling
series to being one of the most influential programmes in
television history, spawning five TV series, 13 feature films,
a universe of merchandising, books and countless other
items in the Star Trek universe. By Rick Bentley
It started out as a fi ve-year mission and turned into a 50-year phenomenon.
Star Trek, one of the new fall shows on NBC’s 1966-67 schedule,
went from a struggling series that only lasted three years to being one of the most infl uential programmes in television history. The characters and phrases crated by Gene Roddenberry and his team have permeated pop culture. It has sparked conversations about social issues, introduced the idea science could be cool and infl uenced both those working in fi lm and TV.
The TV show that ranked only 52nd out of the 94 programmes on the networks during its fi rst season went on to spawn fi ve TV series, 13 feature fi lms, a universe of merchandising, books and countless other items in the Star Trek universe. It helped issue in the era of pop culture conventions and was a primary trigger for cosplay.
Brooks Peck, curator of the EMP Museum in Seattle, is a life-long fan of the series. His eff orts to pull together a display of original props from the TV series is featured in the Smithsonian Channel
special Building Star Trek.Peck cannot think of another TV
programme that has been as infl uential as Star Trek. “It has been infl uential both culturally and in society at large. If you search the Congressional Record, Star Trek comes up a bunch of times. It is a metaphor to argue policy: we should be more like Vulcans than Klingons,” Peck says. “I love how it pops up in places in general like baseball teams having Star Trek night. It is in our cultural DNA. There are people who know the characters and the phases even if they don’t know the show.”
Roddenberry’s fi nal frontierThe man behind Star Trek pitched the
show as a western in outer space. His crew — that consisted of a captain full of bravado, a science offi cer who suppressed his emotions and a cantankerous Southern doctor — travelled the galaxy meeting new civilisations.
Each stop tackles moral issues made more palatable by the science-fi ction coating. The series has looked at religion, ecology, race, greed, lust, false idols and humanity.
Ronald D Moore, the man behind television shows like Roswell, Battlestar Galactica and Outlander, cut his writing teeth during the third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Working on the show was not only a big move for Moore as a writer and producer, but it let him live out a boyhood dream. He grew up a huge fan of the original series. Next Generation brought him on board.
“The fact I was able to work on it, participate in it, was an enormous thing for me. By the time I got to work with Gene, he was very aware of the legacy he had created,” Moore says. “After Star Trek went off the air, it just kept getting bigger and bigger. Gene was being celebrated for what he had created. He came to embrace that.”
Moore’s direct connection to Roddenberry allowed him to see fi rst-hand the direction the series creator wanted the franchise to go. Every writer was given a guide book to the help them keep the concepts that Roddenberry had introduced in the original series alive. Those concepts included the importance of looking at political and social issues.
“He also didn’t want any confl ict
LONG RUN: A still from Star Trek. The iconic TV series has sparked conversations about social issues, introduced the idea science could be cool and influenced both those working in film and TV.
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COMMUNITYCOVER STORY
between the main characters,” Moore says. “He felt humanity was supposed to have gotten better and would not have a lot of the petty confl icts and jealousies we have today.”
That vision was the driving force behind Peck putting together the museum display. He wanted to ask the big question of why Star Trek, of all the thousands of TV shows that have launched over the decades, resonates so deeply with the fans. The answer: Star Trek has always been about dealing with strong values.
“It is such an optimistic and positive look at the future,” Peck says. “This was very diff erent people getting together to take on this amazing task.”
To boldly goThe world that Roddenberry put
together 50 years ago was diff erent than anything that had been on TV as far as the cast was concerned. Crew members represented a variety of races and gave women jobs of respect.
Most of that came through the casting of Nichelle Nichols as Uhura, the ship’s communications offi cer. Black actresses at that time on TV were cast as servants or second-class citizens. That fact was not lost on viewers, one fan in particular.
Although Nichols was given a prominent role on the ship, her work load was so limited she decided to leave. The day after she told Roddenberry she planned to beam off the show, she was at an NAACP fundraiser and was told there was a big fan who wanted to meet her.
“I thought it was a Trekkie, and so I said, ‘Sure.’ And I stood up, and I looked across the room, and there was Dr Martin Luther King walking towards me with this big grin on his face,” Nichols says. “He reached out to me and said, ‘Yes, Ms Nichols, I am
your greatest fan.’ He said that Star Trek was the only show that he and his wife, Coretta, would allow their three little children to stay up and watch.”
She told King about her plans to leave the series.
“I never got to tell him why, because he said, ‘You can’t,’” Nichols says. “He said, ‘You’re part of history, and this is your responsibility even though it might not have been your career choice.’”
He said it was her duty to stay on the show and be a positive role model.
Nichols went back to work and told Roddenberry she would stay. When Roddenberry heard what King had said, he cried.
Star Trek gave Roddenberry the leeway to write about topics and present ground-breaking moments that, without the sci-fi facade, would have not been acceptable on TV at the time. One of the most memorable is the fi rst interracial kiss shared by Nichols and William Shatner.
Let that Be Your Last Battlefi eld, airing in season three, off ered a stark look at racism. The Enterprise picks up the last two survivors of a planetary war who are determined to kill each other. Their diff erences are based on how one is white on the right side and black on the left, while the other is black on the right side and white on the left.
In the closing scenes, Uhura asks if their hate is all the two men ever had. Kirk reasons with “No — but that’s all they have left.”
The diversity that Roddenberry pioneered will continue with next year’s Star Trek Discovery. Bryan Fuller, the man behind the series, has committed to taking the mix a step further.
“Star Trek started with a wonderful expression of diversity in its cast. You had a Russian with a black woman and an Asian man
amongst a Vulcan, who is a diff erent kind of diversity. Infi nite diversity and infi nite combinations, as he would say,” Fuller says. “So we’re absolutely continuing that tradition. We’ll probably have a few more aliens than you normally do in a Star Trek cast, because usually you’ve got one person with a bumpy forehead and then seven other people who look relatively human. We wanted to paint the picture of a Starfl eet that is indicative of a universe where we’re encountering people that are much diff erent than we are.”
Where no person has gone before
At the same time Star Trek was spawning political and social issues, it was sparking interest in the sciences for many. The series featured some futuristic concepts and equipment, such as hand-held communicators, desktop computers, tractor beams, phasers, space shuttles, touch screens, and more.
David Grier, professor of physics and director of the Center for Soft Matter Research at New York University, has been a Star Trek fan since seeing the original series. He’s also featured in the Smithsonian Channel special Building Star Trek.
He grew up a fan of the TV show and with a big interest in electronics. Grier’s convinced one had an impact on the other. The technology he saw on Star Trek was futuristic, but Grier and others have seen many of the items created for the show become a reality.
It was because of Star Trek he was able to recognise the fi rst real tractor beam. Fans of the show know that a tractor beam is a way for the
Enterprise to pull an object toward them using only light.
Peck and his team were working on a project using light when they made a discovery that was not a planned part of the research. They
noticed they could use light to move microscopic elements around.
“Everyone in the room of a certain age yelled ‘That’s a tractor beam.’ When we saw this, we understood what it meant because of Star Trek,” Grier says. “The important thing about science is to understand what you are seeing. To know all the hidden meanings that get attached to a phenomenon. Or, it will pass you by. Star Trek has put concepts and a language in place.”
The legacy of Star Trek shows no signs of slowing. Star Trek Discovery is scheduled to air through a CBS online site in 2017. The Star Trek exhibit at the EMP Museum will be in place until March 2017. Peck is hoping those who attend will share his feelings about Star Trek.
“I know there are people who enjoy Star Wars, but it’s a war story. It doesn’t have the aspirations of Star Trek and that is the reason the
franchise keeps going on,” Peck says.Moore considers the positive
vision of the future one of major strengths of Star Trek. He describes that view as being “very American.”
“It’s the idea that we culturally hope to be one day,” Moore says. “Star Trek represents the future that we can all dream about. There’s no more war. There’s no more racism, poverty, disease. We are past all that.”
That bright approach continues through Star Trek Beyond, the 13th fi lm in the franchise, and a 14th movie already in the works. Those who have become part of the franchise, like Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock, see Star Trek as more than just a job.
“It is great to honour something that has been around a half century. That is a pretty unique place for any kind of pop culture element to occupy. I feel really cool to be part of the legacy,” Quinto says. — TNS
A poster of Star Trek launched in 1966.
The Shuttle Enterprise rolls out of the Palmdale manufacturing facilities with Star Trek television cast members. From left: Dr James C Fletcher (Nasa Administrator), DeForest Kelley (Dr “Bones” McCoy), George Takei (Mr Sulu), James Doohan (Chief Engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott), Nichelle Nichols (Lt Uhura), Leonard Nimoy (the indefatigable Mr Spock), writer Gene Roddenberry, an unnamed off icial (probably from the Nasa), and Walter Koenig (Ensign Pavel Chekov).
Photo credit: Nasa
Friday, September 9, 20164 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY TRAVEL
Newfoundland: The Rock is a multifaceted gem with innumerable sagas
By Carol Ann Davidson
Canada’s Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador is littered with lines. There are fi shing lines, clotheslines, ancestral lines, beelines, cod lines,
lines laden with knitted woolens and yarns of a humorous kind, but what you won’t fi nd are long waiting lines.
The longest line I experienced on my recent trip to the island of Newfoundland was while waiting to get off the Atlantic Marine Ferry in Port aux Basques, after a six-hour journey from North Sydney, Nova Scotia. During the crossing, I met a trucker who regaled me with classic Newfi e sayings such as “Stay where you’re to ‘till I comes where you’re at.” Their singular way with words is legendary. Even the names of their villages and towns can’t escape — Black Tickle, Come by Chance, Cow Head, Heart’s Desire, and Nameless Cove. I mean, how can you not be enchanted before
you even reach the Rock, as it is so fondly referred to? Newfoundland Labrador is the fi rst province of Canada to see the sunrise and the last to join the Confederation in 1947.
For one week this summer I drove 400 miles north along the western coastline highway with the ocean on the left and spruce forests and mountain ranges on the right — the Appalachian mountain chain, born in Alabama, ends its journey here. Before I arrived in Newfoundland, I was told to watch out for moose, as there are 120,000 of them. Newfoundlanders keep their “moose eyes” open just in case one or more of them decides to leap out in front of your car. I was wide-eyed searching the sides of the road, both fearful and excited. Oddly enough, I saw only one and he was a beauty. A family I met at lunch that day told me they had seen 13 on the same patch of highway ... oh well.
What I did see were lighthouses. In Rose Blanche, just south of Port aux Basques, I visited one of the last granite lighthouses on the Atlantic seaboard, perched high above one of its most dramatically beautiful coasts.
A few miles away, in Isle aux Morts (Isle of the Dead), the memory of the lighthouse keeper’s family’s heroic deed in 1828 is kept alive in annual celebrations. The Harvey family, including their Newfoundland dog, Hairy Man, rescued 163 sailors whose ships sank off their coast. It was here that I fi rst noticed something unique to Newfoundland cemeteries — bright bouquets of fl owers atop all the gravestones in such a joyous celebration of life, in seeming defi ance of the very name of the village itself.
Newfoundlanders are nothing if not defi ant and resilient. Fishing was their way of life and cod their lifesaver. The word “fi sh” itself, usually refers to cod. You can have cod tongue (apparently a delicacy, which I politely declined), cod au gratin (with lots of cheese on top), cod fi sh cakes (my favourite), fried cod, grilled cod, cod any way you want it. Whatever fi sh is caught that day, you can be sure it will fi nd its way to your plate. Fresh mussels, snow crab, (lobster in season), halibut and salmon and creamy fi sh chowders round out the sea portion of the menus.
Insects come next. Not to be eaten, for sure, but to be dazzled by at the Newfoundland Insectarium, thanks to one of the best story tellers and educators I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Lloyd Hollett, dual owner with his wife, Sandy, exudes such passion for them that I even became fond of a living Asian black giant scorpion. At the beehive, Hollett’s colourful and detailed description of what was going on there should be recorded, and sold along with the honey in their well-stocked store. Then there’s the Butterfl y Pavilion, light and airy, where hundreds of winged beauties alight on bits of fruit and fl owering trees planted for their pleasure. It’s not surprising that this multi-award winning Insectarium, near Deer Lake, has been voted the province’s No. 1 indoor attraction.
That afternoon I drove on to Gros Morne National Park, one of two Unesco World Heritage Sites in Western Newfoundland. It is 1,120 square miles of mountains, bays, fj ords, forests and all the outdoor activities anyone could possibly wish for. And to top all that,
The quiet beauty of Newfoundland.
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A delicate glass bowl created by Uve Manuel. A recreation of a Viking home in L’Anse aux Meadows. The Ugly Stick.
one of the few places on the planet where you can actually walk on the earth’s mantle — The Tablelands. After an introduction to the entire park at the impressive Parks Canada Discovery Center in Woody Point, I was guided to the fl at, bare tabletop mountain by Cedric Davignon, a parks interpreter. Cedric was a “Come From Away” (not born in the province) but converted to a “NBC” (Newfoundlander by choice). “It’s a big, beautiful, open and wild landscape and the people enjoy a diff erent pace of life. You come here and make your own story,” he said. And what a story teller he is. I learned about that rare earth’s mantle that rises up about half a mile and runs for almost 10 miles, while holding one of its 500 million year old rocks in my hand. Davignon’s enthusiasm for geology forced me look at old rocks in an entirely new light.
Tight-knit communities dot Gros Morne National Park. Woody Point in particular is known for its yearly Writers at Woody Point literary festival in Bonne Bay. Perfectly understandable considering the surrounding beauty. There’s also the music festival and theatre productions just about everywhere. Sipping a local drink down in any of the waterside bistros, while watching whales, kayaks and ferries parade by is a well-entrenched pastime. So too is visiting the arts and crafts stores laden with folk art, local jams and pottery at Honky Dory or strolling over to Molly Maid Fibre Art Studio and meeting Molly to learn all about knitting and hooking rugs. I bought a kit with all the materials to hook a small lighthouse. My fi rst attempt. Fingers crossed.
A few miles away in the tiny, charming fi shing village of Trout River, clotheslines were multi-tasking: cod fi sh drying in the sunshine, woollen mittens and socks for sale pinned to the lines, and fresh, white laundry blowing in the sea breeze. All out there among the distinct square wooden houses (Salt Box) painted in bright, cheerful colours. A photographer’s dream.
That night I met the Ugly stick. It was being played by one of the musicians during a rollicking concert by Anchors Aweigh, at the Ocean View Hotel, Rocky Harbour. It looks like this: long stick with female head made out of woollen materials, black rubber fi shing boot attached at bottom and in between, dozens of attached bottle caps clanging together when struck by a piece of wood. Wade Jones played it like a bass, Newfoundland-style. He was joined by his musical brethren in this sold-out evening of Newfi e songs and humorous stories. The next afternoon I was surprised and amused to see that two of the musicians, the hilarious Wayne Parsons and his sidekick, the rubber-faced entertainer Reg Williams, were guide and skipper on the Bonne Bay Boat Tour. Humour and serious information co-mingled when Wayne regaled us with stories (some too racy to repeat here) and mixed his comic shtick with facts, like the 72-foot-long blue whale that washed up in the bay last year. “Its heart was the size of a Volkswagen Beetle,” he said. No joke.
Before you leave Rocky Harbour, order the cod fi sh cakes at Java Jack’s and shop at The Glass Station where Urve Manuel’s one-of-a-kind art glass art is a marvel.
Continuing north, I passed packed RV parks, hiking trails, lookouts and communal root vegetable gardens on the sides of the well-paved highway. Finally I arrived at one of my favourite towns, Cow Head, with a human head count of about 500. I was thrilled to have scored the little cottage with the porch facing the ocean at the Shallow Bay Motel. Early the next morning I strolled down the main street. It was as quiet as a church mouse. Appropriately so, as I came across the most enchanting garden of my entire trip, adjacent to a church. Individual bedded areas displayed a variety of shrubs and galas of flowers each with its name painted on a small beach stone. Joyce Kilmer’s lyric poem, “Trees,” was writ large at one
end and a book for your name and comments placed next to a small donation box, at the other. The entire effect was joyful. Down another road, a cenotaph honouring the villagers who lost their lives during various wars induced another set of emotions. Cow Head also has one of the best sandy beaches I had come across on my trip. The water of Shallow Bay was warm and inviting and one could walk for miles. I did.
But I still had miles and miles to go — some of them at sea. At St. Anthony’s on Newfoundland’s northern tip, I witnessed truly awesome beauty. Despite a torrential downpour, Captain Paul Alcock with Northland Discovery Boat Tours expertly navigated the tossing sea and encircled, up close, the last colossal, majestic iceberg of the season. We may have been wet to the core, but none of us could ever forget that glorious sight. Alas, no whales came our way. A pity, considering that 23 species have been known to parade by. Good old reliable porpoises did their best to entertain and they didn’t disappoint.
After that, a much-needed cup of hot tea and a home-made partridge berry scone was most welcome at the tea room in the Grenfell Interpretation Centre. It’s what the doctor ordered. The doctor, in this case, was Dr Wilfred Grenfell (1865-1940), a Renaissance man if there ever was one: a missionary doctor from England, prolifi c writer, painter, buddies to the rich and famous and champion of the poor and ill. His lifelong motto, “The purpose of the world is not to have and hold, but to give and receive,” inspired the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to whom he dedicated his life. The centre showcases photographs, videos, his own art work, and testimonies of those whose very lives depended on his multiple skills and largesse. Housed in the same building, a craft and book shop is fi lled to the rafters with Grenfell art and an eclectic selection of Newfoundland treasures.
Long, long before Grenfell
found his life’s calling in the “new” world, Norsemen set up camp in L’Anse aux Meadows a thousand years ago. It is the second Unesco Heritage Site in Western Newfoundland and what a site it is. It is the ONLY known Viking site in North America and the earliest evidence of Europeans in the Western Hemisphere. Archaeological research suggests it was the site of the fi rst meeting of Europeans and Aboriginal people. Today, on the exact land where they built their unique sod mound homes, reconstructions re-create their daily lives. Men and women, dressed in Viking clothes, employing Viking cooking techniques and spinning Viking tales, draw you inside their mounds, and for the while you are there, you’re transported to another world entirely. Magical.
OK. You’re wondering, with all the moose and the whales, and you only saw one moose, what about all the great big wildlife? Well, it’s there, I promise you. At Tuckamore Lodge, in Main Brook, I heard the unmistakeable grunting sound of a bull moose and not the one mounted on the wall in the front room. I listened to the loon calls on the lake (not big wildlife, but hauntingly beautiful). And then the black bear. Captured your interest
now? Well, I didn’t actually see it, but others staying with me at the lodge did, late at night, while I was tucked into my comfy bed. The 400-pounder was intent on salvaging from the garbage the remains of the utterly delicious cod au gratin on our menu that night. Apparently, Tuckamore Lodge’s indomitable and delightful owner, Barb Genge, chased him away. Whatever the story morphs into, each of the guests left with a great bear tale.
My journey had come full circle. It started with various lines and now the threads of Newfoundland & Labrador were woven into a masterful 222-foot hand-made tapestry depicting 1,000 years of history on the Northern Peninsula. It was designed by the artist Jean-Claude Roy in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry and embroidered by the local woman in the village of Conche. While I was viewing it at the French Shore Interpretation Centre, Joan Simmonds, one of the embroiderers and another one of those incomparable raconteurs, added a third dimension to the Irish linen tapestry through her compelling story telling.
The Rock turned out to be a multifaceted gem with innumerable sagas to be savoured for a lifetime. —TNS
Granite lighthouse in Rose Blanche, Newfoundland.
Broccoli, the great healthy green food, as we all know is an edible green plant in the cabbage family, which also
includes, kale, bok choy, collard green, turnips and brussels sprouts.
It comes with tons of health benefi ts, which we should all be aware about and include this super vegetable in our dietary intake. Broccoli’s large fl owering head is eaten as a vegetable. The word “broccoli” comes from the Italian word “broccoli,” meaning the “fl owering crest of cabbage.” Broccoli is classifi ed in the Italica cultivar group of brassica oleracea. Broccoli can be eaten raw, steamed
or boiled. The most common cooking method for broccoli is to boil it in water and then consume it.
Broccoli has large fl owering heads, usually green in colour, arranged in a tree like structure branching out from a thick edible stalk. The broccoli fl ower is surrounded by leaves and has a close physical resemblance to caulifl ower apart from its colour.
The origin of broccoli is thought to be in the Mediterranean Sea, as a result of careful breeding of cultivated brassica crops. Broccoli is considered an important part of Italian diet and from there it travelled to England. Broccoli became very popular in the USA
in the 1920s and was brought in by Italian travellers and businessmen. Now California — the broccoli state — produces about 90% of the total production in the US.
There are very few food items and dishes that provide essential nutrients and still look good — broccoli is one such item. Broccoli not only helps lower cholesterol but taste great as well.
Broccoli is a natural detoxifi er and helps neutralise toxins in the body. It has an adequate amount of Vitamin D, and can help off set the vitamin’s defi ciency. Broccoli also contains fl avonoids, which reduce the impact of allergens on our bodies. This helps to explain
its unique anti-infl ammatory benefi ts.
How to boil broccoliAlways soak the broccoli florets
in salted cold water to remove insects and then blanch it in salted boiling water till soft. Ensure that you do not over boil it and the florets should retain their shape. Studies have shown that generally kids like broccoli and my elder son himself likes to eat broccoli. Avoid overcooking the broccoli as it reduces its nutrient value. Overcooked broccoli becomes soft and mushy, an indication that it has lost both nutrients and flavour.
How to choose a good broccoli fl ower
Always choose fresh broccoli over frozen variety. Look for any blemishes or spoilage marks; bright green colour indicates freshness; the fl orets should be closely packed to each other and there should not be any gaps between the fl orets; and the stem should look fresh and should be fi rm to touch.
My personal favourite dish when I want to eat something healthy is soya garlic tossed broccoli fl owers — substantial and healthy.
Malai Broccoli
Serves 2IngredientsBroccoli fl orets 500 gmCheddar cheese white 80 gmMozzarella cheese 50 gmCooking cream 100 mlGreen Cardamom pods 8-10Black pepper to tasteSalt to tasteGarlic paste 1 tbspGinger paste 1 tbspGreen chilli 1 no
GarnishCoriander sprig few no’s
MethodCut the broccoli fl orets into small
pieces and keep them soaked in salted water to remove any insects.
In a separate pot bring salted water to boil and add to it the broccoli fl orets.
Blanch the broccoli fl orets into boiling water for about 30 seconds and then refresh them in ice cold water to stop carry over cooking.
Once cooled, drain the water and keep the fl orets aside.
In a separate bowl combine cheese, ginger and garlic pastes, the green chilli, cardamom pods, black pepper powder, salt and work them into a fi ne paste.
Marinate the broccoli fl orets into the prepared marinade and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 200 Celsius and place the fl orets on a butter paper-lined baking tray; Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown from outside.
Serve hot garnished with coriander sprig.
Note: You can also skewer the broccoli fl orets and place them in oven or clay oven called tandoor to make the dish more authentic and retain their shape.
With love from ItalyGet ready in red and black for a stylish Bollywood Night next week
By Umer Nangiana
Letting the wide local Bollywood fan base culminate their long Eid weekend with special Bollywood song mixes
by some of the most exciting music producers and DJs from India, the premium Italian luxury brand Tonino Lamborghini (TL) is bringing its signature party atmosphere to town.
Presenting its world renowned ‘red and black’ party in a stylish Bollywood Night out at one of Doha’s most popular Saturday night destinations, Pearl lounge at Doha Marriott, TL will deck the venue to look like a premium Tonino Lamborghini lounge studded with all that represents it.
Tonino Lamborghini is a premium Italian Luxury brand from the house of Lamborghini and TL parties around the world are a classy aff air showcasing elegance and style.
“It will be a typical Tonino Lamborghini party aff air with all its elegance. The venue will be decorated themed on a typical TL design and there will be some Tonino Lamborghini products on off er such as the energy drinks,” Jassim Mohamed, the organiser and CEO of Red Apple Events and Media, told Community.
The Tonino Lamborghini Black and Red Bollywood Aff air to be held on September 17 at the Pearl Lounge Doha Marriott will be organised by Klub Red, a concept of Red Apple Events.
Since more than 35 years, Tonino Lamborghini has been a byword for Made in Italy lifestyle, by staying true to the tradition and heritage of the Lamborghini family. All the products are recognised by the raging bull symbol on a red shield.
Located in the magnifi cent Palazzo del Vignola, a Renaissance villa just outside Bologna city walls, today the company is keeping on a reaping the rewards of a strategic plan begun in 2009, with new projects dedicated to the most exclusive and luxury markets and aimed to emphasise the essence of the brand, design, innovative style, Italian fl air together with the legend of a timeless heritage.
Since its inception in the early 1980s, the Tonino Lamborghini company has created products that embodies innovation and timeless, values characteristic of the Italian culture.
TL’s vision is to bring the passion and spirit of Italy to the global market with unique and distinctive products inspired by the world of Italian Arts and Industrial Design. The products are created
and produced in Italy, a country universally known for its culture of beauty and excellence.
Having a reputation of hosting the Biggest Bollywood Club Nights featuring top DJs from India and Qatar, the Lounge will host one of India’s fi nest female DJs Smita. She will get behind the decks with her power packed high energy Bollywood set. Smita is known to create sore feet with her dose of high energy Bollywood dance tunes.
This event is all about dressing up and looking good. In line with the theme of the TL event, the dressing theme for the participants is red and black.
DJ Smita is a Bollywood, House DJ, producer and re-mixer with excellent credentials. Her successful DJ career has seen her play in some of the most prestigious clubs in India and around India consistently wowing crowds with her technically brilliant, distinctly unique mixing style and energy behind the decks.
She has been the girl on a mission to make her mark on the
music scene that she has covered more ground than many of her peers in a very short span of time. Smita has also been judging DJing competitions happening around the globe.
Smita’s successful Bollywood remixes have been riding high in destinations across India along with most being tagged as club favourite mixes like Kabhi Kabhi Aditi, Aai Paapi, Chori Chori ,Mit Jaaye, Tu Tu Hai Wahi and the best mix of Bachna Aey Haseeno so far with DJ NYK which has been aired by BBC Asian network.
DJ Smita’s skills and creativity with music production has been a catch and is an add-on to her DJing skills and so has brought her acclaim in the music business. She is India’s fi rst female DJ who is also a Bollywood Remixer and Music Producer.
Klub Red is the brand conceptualised by Red Apple Events and Media to promote International Premium clubbing brands to the Middle East.
DJ Smita will be entertaining the audience with her Bollywood mixes.
The venue will have a signature Tonino Lamborghini look.
Friday, September 9, 20168 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY INFOGRA
9Friday, September 9, 2016 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITYAPHIC
Friday, September 9, 201610 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY
McDonald’s Qatar reaches out to the children at diff erent institutions
Doha Modern Indian School marks Teachers’ Day with workshopThe Doha Modern Indian School organised a workshop titled “Positive Behaviour Support and School wide Discipline Policy” recently to mark Teachers’ Day. About 60 teachers attended the three-day workshop. Ajit Sacheendran, Chief Consultant in Disability Rehabilitation, Special Education and related Services, was the resource person for the workshop.
As part of its CSR programme, McDonald’s Qatar staff and management recently spent time to lift the spirits of children with special needs under the care of diff erent institutions. The children were entertained with multiple engaging activities by the McDonald’s team. The staff served healthy food, gifts and
giveaways to everyone as the participants had fun while playing and dancing together with famous McDonald’s characters. Kamal Saleh AlMana, Managing Director of AlMana Restaurants & Food Co., the owner and operator of McDonald’s restaurants in Qatar, said: “It is a pleasure to fulfil our commitment to touch as
many people lives as possible, specially the people who need our utmost care and attention. We’re glad to have made these children happy and made them feel special. Bringing fun, joy and happiness to the hearts and souls of these kids during this fun-filled event is exactly what McDonald’s wants to support throughout the year.”
OIS celebrates second anniversary, Teachers’ DayThe Management of Staff of Olive International School (OIS) joined together to celebrate Teachers’ Day and the school’s second anniversary on September 5. The Teachers’ Day is celebrated in India and in all the Indian schools internationally in honour of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was the second president of the country as well as a highly acclaimed academician. Dr Radhakrishnan strongly believed
that “teachers should be the best minds in the country.” To mark the school’s second anniversary celebrations, speeches were delivered by Vice-Principal Geetha Somashekaran, Senior Academic Coordinator Shalini Rawat and Administration Manager Samir Rai. Staff members from all four OIS campuses in Qatar actively participated in the cultural programme as part of the dual celebration.
11Friday, September 9, 2016 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITYLEISURE
Colour by choice
Maze Picture crosswordConnect the dots
Friday, September 9, 201612 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY CARTOON
13Friday, September 9, 2016 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITYLEISURE
Sudoku is a puzzle
based on a 9x9 grid. The
grid is also divided into
nine (3x3) boxes. You
are given a selection of
values and to complete
the puzzle, you must fill the grid so that
every column, every row and every 3x3
box contains the digits 1 to 9 and none
is repeated.
Sudoku
psychological moment (sy-kuh-LOJ-i-kuhl MOH-muhnt)MEANING:
noun: The most appropriate time for
achieving a desired result; the critical
moment.
ETYMOLOGY:
Loan translation of French moment
psychologique (psychological
moment), which itself is a mistaken
loan translation of German
das psychologische Moment
(psychological element or factor)
taken as der psychologische Moment
(the psychological moment of time).
The word came to French during the
German Siege of Paris in 1870. Earliest
documented use: 1871.
USAGE:
“I always pride myself in recognising
the psychological moment, and acting
on it.”
James Lear; The Back Passage; Cleis
Press; 2006.
running dog (RUN-ing dog)MEANING:
noun: A servile follower; lackey.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Chinese zougou, from zou
(running) + gou (dog), apparently as an
allusion to a dog running to follow his
or her master›s commands. This term
was employed in Chinese Communist
terminology to refer to someone
who was considered subservient to
counter-revolutionary interest. Earliest
documented use: 1925.
USAGE:
“Before now, I never suspected
Strickland of being a running-dog,
lickspittled lackey of the Nanny State.”
Nick Welsh; Dog Is as Dog Does; Santa
Barbara Independent (California); Apr,
26, 2012.
potpourri (poh-poo-REE, POH-poo-ree)MEANING:
noun
1. A mixture of dried flower petals,
spices, herbs, etc., kept for fragrance.
2. A musical medley.
3. A mixture of incongruous things.
ETYMOLOGY:
From French pot pourri, literally rotten
pot (loan translation of Spanish olla
podrida), from pot (pot) + pourri
(rotten), from pourrir (to rot). English
has borrowed not only the loan
translated term potpourri from French,
but also the original Spanish olla
podrida. It has borrowed from other
languages a whole bunch of terms to
describe hodgepodge or miscellany,
such as, from Swedish smorgasbord,
from French salmagundi, and
from Hungarian goulash. Earliest
documented use: 1611.
USAGE:
“The Moisture Festival, an exuberant
potpourri of variety and burlesque, is
now in its seventh year and as raff ishly
welcoming as ever.”
Misha Berson; Neo-vaudeville Delights
at Moisture Festival›s Opening Night;
The Seattle Times; Mar 12, 2010.
blue blood (BLOO bluhd)MEANING:
noun:
1. An aristocratic or socially prominent
lineage.
2. A member of such a family.
ETYMOLOGY:
Loan translation of Spanish sangre
azul (blue blood). The term arose
from the visible veins of light-skinned
royalty. Earliest documented use: 1835.
USAGE:
“It figures that a golf blue blood
would feel at home on such a classic
course. ‘I love telling people that my
great-uncle is a Masters champion,
and that›s how my dad got started,
and that›s the reason I play the game,’
Haas said.”
Karen Crouse; Leading After Three
Rounds; The New York Times; Feb 16,
2013.
— wordsmith.org
Yesterday’s Solutions
Wordwatch
DOWN1. Idea (7)2. Beg (7)3. Hold back (6)5. Lodgings (8)6. Praise (6)7. Highest point (6)13. Throttle (8)14. Confide (7)15. Wane (7)16. Starve (6)17. Sultry (6)19. Marionette (6)
ACROSS4. Heroic river gourmet (7)8. Brought up for attack around the south-east (6)9. Possibly lasting criticism? (7)10. Specialist no longer cheeky (6)11. Dissertations about sheets? (6)12. Broadcasting about the melody (2,3,3)18. Humble countryman, about 50, is affable (8)20. Look in the French station - you’ll find plenty (6)21. He mails an advertisement (6)22. Suggest a little work in plain language (7)23. Agree to surrender the account first (6)24. Emotionally upset and ripped apart (2,5)
DOWN1. Possibly fed more during liberty (7)2. Argue about being placed in reorganised side (7)3. Qualification showing an amount of latitude? (6)5. Tropical feature of Lampeter? (4,4)6. Vessel for a tailor? (6)7. Athlete done by someone absconding? (6)13. A paper’s misprint about English conciliator (8)14. Possibly boarding ones for sea trip? (7)15. He doesn’t finish the first course! (7)16. Man with a colony of rabbits (6)17. A pair left in a car (6)19. Act One is revised immediately (2,4)
Mall Cinema (1): Baar Baar Dekho (Hindi) 1pm; Actor In Law (Urdu) 3:45pm; Taht El Tarabiza (Arabic) 5:45pm; Pete’s Dragon (2D) 7:45pm; Ben-Hur (2D) 9:30pm; Ben-Hur (2D) 11.30pm.Mall Cinema (2): Light’s Out (2D) 1:30pm; Bilal: A New Breed Of Hero (2D) 3pm; Pete’s Dragon (2D) 5pm; Light’s Out (2D) 7pm; Baar Baar Dekho (Hindi) 8:30pm; Iru Mugan (Tamil) 11pm.Mall Cinema (3): Janaan (Urdu) 1pm; Freaky Ali (Hindi) 3:15pm; Ann Maria (Malayalam) 5:30pm; Sully (2D) 7:45pm; Ashan Khargeen
(Arabic) 9:30pm; Sully (2D) 11:30pm.Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (1): Actor In Law (Urdu) 1pm; Ann Maria (Malayalam)3pm; Pete’s Dragon (2D) 5pm; Pete’s Dragon (2D) 7:15pm; Ben-Hur (2D) 9pm; Iru Mugan (Tamil) 11pm.Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2): Baar Baar Dekho (Hindi) 1pm; Light’s Out (2D) 3:30pm; Taht El Tarabiza (Arabic) 5pm; Baar Baar Dekho (Hindi) 7pm; Light’s Out (2D) 9:45pm; Ben-Hur (2D) 11:15pm.
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (3): Bilal: A New Breed Of Hero (2D) 1:30pm; Bilal: A New Breed Of Hero (2D) 3:30pm; Freaky Ali (Hindi) 5:30pm; Sully (2D) 7:30pm; Ashan Khargeen (Arabic) 9:30pm; Sully (2D) 11:30pm.Asian Town Cinema: Iru Mugan (Tamil) 12:30, 1:30, 3:30, 4:30, 7:30, 8:45, 10:30, 11:45pm, 1am & 2.:30am; Baar Baar Dekho (Hindi) 12:30, 5:30 & 11pm; Ann Maria (Malayalam) 12:30, 3, 5:30, 8, 10:30pm, 1 & 1:45am; Pretham (Malayalam) 3:15, 6:30 & 8:30pm.
Friday, September 9, 201614 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE
ARIESMarch 21 — April 19
CANCERJune 21 — July 22
LIBRASeptember 23 — October 22
CAPRICORNDecember 22 — January 19
TAURUSApril 20 — May 20
LEOJuly 23 — August 22
SCORPIOOctober 23 — November 21
AQUARIUSJanuary 20 — February 18
GEMINIMay 21 — June 20
VIRGOAugust 23 — September 22
SAGITTARIUSNovember 22 — December 21
PISCESFebruary 19 — March 20
The conflict between what is real and what isn’t is very REAL for you
today. Your imagination is in overdrive and it’s important that you
stop, reboot and rethink today.
Unless you really want something to happen today and are set
on forcing it through, avoid starting anything new or being overly
pushy Cancerians. It’s the middle of the Mercury retrograde storm
right now after all.
TAG YOU’RE IT Librans!!! Today is the day when Jupiter, the planet
of abundance and riches sets up his gift giving outlet in your sign
(through October 10, 2017). Buy a lottery ticket NOW.
We are in the Mercury retrograde eye of the storm right now, and for
many of you, no matter what you attempt to do, it backfires in your
face. Therefore don’t start anything new and work with what you’ve
got.
Even if you aren’t sure about something today, if your instinct/gut is
screaming at you to give it a go and try it anyway, then that’s what
you should do Bulls.
If you don’t think someone is telling you the truth today, or at least
fudging on the facts, why are you feeling this way? Is it instinct or are
you overdramatising things again?
If you get the feeling someone is leading you down the garden path
to absolutely nowhere, wasting your precious time in the process
Scorpions, tell them you have plans and stop it immediately.
With Jupiter, the planet of bigger is better setting up shop in your
fellow air sign of Libra today, your ninth house of higher thinking
and power is just the thing you need in order to overcome whatever
brain fog you are experiencing.
Today’s the day Twins...Jupiter, the planet of abundance and growth
moves into Libra, your fellow air sign and fifth house of romance,
self–fulfilment and creativity. Once Mercury moves (direct on Sep
22), it’s your time to shine!
Be open to some good advice today Virgos. Sometimes you get the
best advice from perfect strangers – someone sitting next to you on
a plane or in line for a coff ee. Listen up.
Your ruler Jupiter, the largest planet in the Zodiac and the planet of
gifts, adventure, good luck and expansion moves into Libra today
where he stays for just over a year. In your eleventh house of hopes,
wishes and friendship, it’s time to collaborate with the people you
love.
In your eighth house of joint monies and investments, Jupiter
spends the next year helping you find ways to increase your bank
account. No sudden moves just yet though. Wait until the end of the
month when Mercury is well and truly moving direct again.
Creating confidence: 8 steps to feeling more self-assuredV
irtually everyone struggles with a lack of self-confi dence at some point in their lives and it’s perfectly normal to feel unsure of yourself in certain situations.
However, if you fi nd a lack of confi dence is holding you back from fully enjoying your personal life, or achieving your professional goals, it may be time to take action.
There are actually steps you can take to rebuild your confi dence, even when you’re struggling to feel self-assured. Confi dence is a real-life super power that aff ects every aspect of your life, from your relationships to your career and social life, but it’s also more attainable than you think.
Expert shares tips on how you can be your most confi dent self and live a fulfi lled, unconditional life:
Tap the power of words and positive thinking by starting every day with an uplifting mantra. Positive self-talk such as “I am loveable. I am worthy. I am enough” can help boost confi dence levels. Make a conscious decision to be more kind and gentle with yourself every day.
Practice a strong pose and smile to help enhance your sense of confi dence. Confi dence is all about attitude. Making these small physical changes can immediately impact how self-assured you feel in any situation.
Make self-care non-negotiable. Take time to listen to your body and give it what it needs to help you feel confi dent. For example, millions of men and women experience bladder leakage, there are product, which are designed to move with your body while off ering trusted protection, can help you think less about leaks. That’s energy you can devote to better things, like reconnecting with the people and parts of your life you’ve been missing.
Keep your mind and body active. Being busy leaves you little time to overthink, so fi ll your life with activities you enjoy. Yoga, visiting friends, reading, cooking, going for walks or even organising your closet all count!
Speak with intention. The way you talk impacts your mood, your confi dence and how other people perceive you. When you use
verbiage like “I’ll try” or “I don’t think I can,” you’re really allowing yourself permission to feel unconfi dent. Instead, build confi dence and commitment with statements like “I will” and “I know I can.”
Don’t overcomplicate things or allow yourself to be distracted by unimportant things. Focus on your daily objectives and long-term goals by cultivating a clear and positive vision of how you want your life to be.
Listen to, but don’t heed negative opinions of others. Your positive attitude and vision are more important than anyone else’s negative thoughts.
Be sure to reserve time and energy for your own priorities. Busy lives mean we can get bogged down with commitments to others, and while those things are important, it’s vital to take care of yourself and your own priorities fi rst. Build your schedule around the time you need for your own goals and let everything else fi t in around that.
Actress-producer Melissa McCarthy is developing a family comedy with cable network Fox. McCarthy will serve as an executive producer for the project along with her husband Ben Falcone, reports variety.com.
The untitled half-hour comedy show follows an unconventional family that is formed when a successful man and his estranged sister, her two children, fi nd themselves not only back in each other’s lives but also living under one roof. Warner Bros is the studio behind the series that is currently in development. In front of the camera, McCarthy is gearing up for Gilmore Girls revival. – IANS
Still don’t think I completely fit in Bollywood, says Leone
By Durga Chakravarty
She ventured into Bollywood in 2012 with Jism 2 thriller and has been on a roll since then. Indo-Canadian actress
Sunny Leone says she felt like an outsider when she initially ventured into the Hindi fi lm industry and still feels she doesn’t fi t in.
Asked if she ever felt like an outsider, Sunny told IANS over e-mail from Los Angeles: “Yes, of course, but that would be anyone who is new to the job. I still don’t think I completely fi t in (Bollywood).”
At the same time, the Mastizaade star feels she has met some nice people in Bollywood who she has “grown fond of”. Sunny has tasted success with fi lms like Jism 2 and Ek Paheli Leela and has faced failure with movies like Kuch Kuch Locha Hai and One Night Stand in her four-year-long journey.
Do bad times ever aff ect her?
“Yes, it does, I don’t think I would be human if it didn’t. But I have a great support system and try and fi nd the good out of the bad always,” she said.
The Ragini MMS 2 actress has also been roped in for a song for superstar Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees, which is directed by Rahul Dholakia. The song, which is picturised on Sunny and Shah Rukh, is reportedly a new take on the 1980 chartbuster Laila O laila from Qurbaani. The original track featured Feroz Khan and Zeenat Amaan.
Sunny, whose real name is Karenjit Kaur Vohra, said: “I just did a song (with Shah Rukh), it’s a small part in a very big fi lm. I am very grateful for the opportunity. Hope I get a chance to act opposite Shah Rukh one day,” she said.
Would she like to star with the other two Khan’s of Bollywood — Salman and Aamir?
“Ah yes...Who wouldn’t?” she asserted.
The 35-year-old star will be seen walking at the New York Fashion
Week (NYFW) becoming the fi rst Bollywood star to be on the ramp at the fashion event. “It feels amazing and when I found out that I am the fi rst, it felt even better. I am very nervous about walking and just want it to go perfect,” an excited Sunny said.
Talking about the ensemble, she said: “I am wearing a creation from Archana Kochhar from Mumbai. She is one of the select few that NYFW has accepted to showcase. She is one of my favourite designers in India and I am very proud to be wearing her clothes.”
Is she nervous representing the country at the international fashion gala.
“Well, I didn’t think of that until this question. I am representing a very talented designer who had worked very hard to get to NYFW. It is a great honour that she even asked me to come.
“What I believe I represent is just that anything can happen and anything is possible in life, just believe and work hard,” she stressed. — IANS
Radhika Apte celebrates birthday at workplace
Actress Radhika Apte celebrated her 31st birthday dubbing for her upcoming fi lm Bombairiya and rehearsing for a performance. Radhika said in a statement: “This year I’m pretty much celebrating my birthday with work which is
great too. I have to dub for my fi lm and also rehearse for one of my performances. It is probably the fi rst time that it’s all work and no play.”
With four fi lms, including Phobia and Kabali, released already, Radhika is gearing up for three more movies Ula, The Field and Bombairiya to hit the screens. — IANS
Raaz 3 role was toughest, darkest for Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu-starrer Raaz 3 has completed four years of its release, and the actress says it is the toughest and darkest role she has ever played on the silver screen. Raaz 3 revolves around a girl named Shanaya, a famous actress, who feels threatened when Sanjana, a young starlet, makes her debut. Shanaya resorts to black magic which ultimately ruins her professional and personal lives.
Bipasha shared the fi lm’s poster on Instagram. “Throwback 7 Sep 2012 ‘Raaz’ 3 released. The toughest and the darkest role that I ever played through the toughest phase of my life. Thank you all for the tremendous appreciation for my role of Shanaya,” she captioned the image. The 37-year-old actress shared that she is “waiting to entertain you all soon with something even better.” — IANS
Aamir Khan lauds title song of Mirzya
Superstar Aamir Khan has lauded the title track of the forthcoming fi lm Mirzya, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. The song features lead debutants Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher. The vocals are backed by singer Daler Mehndi, with lyrics penned by Gulzar and music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.
“Mehra always comes up with the best music! Great track,” Aamir posted. Aamir and Mehra
had worked together for the 2006 blockbuster Rang De Basanti, which was produced by Ronnie Screwvala.
“Fab title song and great visuals to support it. Super edit to the song, gives full fl avour to the movie. All the very best,” Screwvala said in a statement. Mirzya is inspired from the folk tale of the legend of Mirza-Sahiban. The fi lm is an epic action-romance set in contemporary times.
Presented by Cinestaan Film company and ROMP Pictures, the fi lm is set to release on October 7. — IANS
Pleasure to back good scripts: Anurag Kashyap
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, whose production company Phantom Films has collaborated with Cineman Productions for the Gujarati movie Wrong side Raju, says it’s a pleasure to back a good script. “It’s always a pleasure to back a good script, and we are happy with the way Wrong Side Raju has shaped up and also that we have found partners all over, to be able to release it worldwide simultaneously. I feel that will help the audience to watch the fi lm at one go, and probably reduce the chances of piracy,” Kashyap said in a statement. Wrong side Raju is a thriller drama based on a hit-and-run case. — IANS
AT THE HELM: Melissa McCarthy
Friday, September 9, 201616 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY
By Anand Holla
As a prelude to the upcoming party season, keyboards whiz Alexandre Destrez and DJ Yass recently brought down the house at the newly revamped WAHM
Lounge at W Doha Hotel & Residences.The year 1995 was the fi rst time Alexandre
Destrez’s keyboards were heard on the album Boulevard with St Germain (Label F COM) that was selected Best Dance Album of the year by the UK press. His album Tourist (Blue Note) sold 3mn copies throughout the world, was rated No.1 in jazz sales when it came out in the US and was awarded three Victoires de la Musique in France.
Infl uenced by his grandmother’s colourful stories while she was running the mythical St Germain-des-Près Jazz clubs Le Tabou and the Whisky à Gogo in the 1960s, Destrez familiarised himself with the electro scene in 1994, when his personal jazz rendering contributed to the fame of the St Germain albums Boulevard and Tourist.
Alexandre has collaborated with numerous artistes on the French electro scene such as Shazz, Dimitri From Paris, Oscar, DJ Yass and with pop artist Overhead. He has released more than 20 singles and remixes as a pianist, composer, and producer. Today, Destrez is carrying on with this Electro Jazz adventure with the creation of Rive Gauche. He is backed up by the DJ producer, David H for composition, beats and samples, as well as by jazz musicians, each with their own talents.
Following Deep In It and Street Scene (4 SHAZZ) on St Germain’s album Boulevard, Destrez swung into several years of collaboration with Ludovic Navarre, starting from the 1996 concert tour in France and Europe up to the recording of the Tourist album (Blue Note records) in 2001. Simultaneously, using the pseudonym Alejandro Del Abelgam, he became the accomplice of another phenomenon of the French House scene: Shazz. Community caught up with Destrez for a chat.
How was your Doha gig over the
weekend? What about Doha’s audience stood out in particular?
The concert was really great and we had a warm welcoming. People always love watching a musician and a DJ playing together. The people at WAHM were mostly all afi cionados who came to the event, and the rest of the crowd, who were listening for the fi rst time, seemed to enjoy our show.
How and when did you decide to take
up playing keyboards? Ever since I was a kid, I’ve spent hours
playing on a “Bendir” given to me by my father on a trip to Morocco. I always enjoyed listening to diff erent music on vinyl. Then one day, my mother purchased a piano. I was
10 years old when I fi rst started practising and have not stopped playing it since.
What is your opinion on the
contemporary French electro scene?The French electro scene is more alive
than ever. There are many young emerging producers and I think this is a very good thing for music and the future of the “French Touch.”
Why do you prefer to focus on electro
jazz music? In 1994, I discovered electronic music
thanks to my collaboration with the St Germain’s band. During this period, I was
already an established jazz pianist. For the fi rst time, I experimented with adding keyboards to electronic music. This off ered me a lot of new opportunities and I am still enthusiastic about creating electronic music to this day.
What do you think makes electro jazz
so appealing to the club crowd? I think electro-jazz reaches a wider
audience and my experience in traditional jazz gives an additional substance to the electronic music and brings colour and culture. Electro-jazz brings a festive and high energy vibe to young audiences which everyone can dance to.
How has collaborating with various producers and artistes helped you discover new dimensions to your
music? I have had the chance to work in the studio
and on stage with the best French producers and DJs. In my growing up years, I was not exposed to a lot of electronic music; I learned by experience. I have also worked with singers within the pop music scene.
All these musical collaborations allow for mutual enrichment for DJs, producers and singers. Through this experience I have decided to make my own electronic jazz project: Rive Gauche (www.rivegauchemusic.com).
‘Electro-jazz brings high energy vibe to audiences’
“I think electro-jazz reaches a wider audience and my experience in traditional jazz gives an additional substance to the electronic music and brings colour and culture”
