Singer-songwriter David Olney has died at age 71, after falling silent and dropping his head in the midst of a performance at the 30A Songwriters Festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, Saturday night. Some news reports said he “collapsed” on stage, but that isn’t quite true: Olney simply became still on his stool, leading some … Read more
Handel first performed The Messiah in Dublin in 1742. Nearly 50 years later, Mozart re-orchestrated the work in German translation to Der Messias. And it’s Der Messias which premiered in Mozart Week in Salzburg in a production staged by American director and visual artist Robert Wilson, known as the ‘master of minimalism’. Wilson is perhaps … Read more
American author Mary Higgins Clark, known as the “Queen of Suspense” for penning dozens of thrilling bestselling novels, has died at the age of 92. “It is with great sadness we say goodbye to the “Queen of Suspense” Mary Higgins Clark, author of over 40 bestselling suspense titles,” her publisher Simon & Schuster announced on … Read more
The Berlin International Film Festival has suspended one of its major prizes after allegations that its founding director, Alfred Bauer, was closely involved in organising Nazi propaganda. Bauer’s controversial past was revealed in an article in Die Zeit, which uncovered historical research suggesting that Bauer was both a member of the Nazi party and a … Read more
The historic Croatian costal city of Rijeka marked the start of its year as European Capital of Culture 2020 on Saturday, with a spectacular opening ceremony. Over 70 events for all ages and interests took place, culminating in a performance called ‘Industrial Opera’ representing the city’s heritage as a port. Irena Kregar Segota, on the … Read more
It’s a film of great beauty and intensity. Adam, directed by the Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Touzani, tells the story of two women, a young pregnant girl on the run, and a widow who is raising her daughter alone. Euronew’s Frédéric Ponsard spoke to Touzani about her first feature film. “I wanted my camera to be … Read more
Gusting winds of up to 80mph (130km/h) threatened by Storm Ciara forced the cancellation of a ceremony celebrating Galway’s 2020 European Capital of Culture status on Saturday. Storm Ciara is forecast to last Ireland during Saturday before moving to the UK and northern mainland Europe during Sunday, bringing heavy rain as well as high winds. … Read more
It’s Venice carnival time again. Beware the masked faces lurking near the gondolas and the ancient buildings. The event first started in the 9th century but was entirely outlawed by the Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II in the 18th century. It was then brought back in the late 1970s and it leads nicely into the … Read more
Cape Verde is currently at the spotlight of the world music scene and Mayra Andrade is one of the new great crioulo voices. She is now on tour with a very personal record and says she’s “super happy” with it. “The idea was neither to make traditional Cape Verdean music nor afrobeat but to find … Read more
The versatile virtuoso, Anoushka Shankar recently performed the Sitar concerto No. 2 at Lyon’s Auditorium, accompanied by the Orchestre National de Lyon. Composed by her late father Ravi Shankar, the legendary Sitar-player, it unites classical Indian tradition and music from the West. “Getting to play my father’s music is a very beautiful experience,” says Shankar. … Read more