(Famous Faces) Several big names have been announced for the 34th edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival, happening June 28 to July 7 at classic music venues and outdoors on free stages. Naturally topping that list is the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, unleashing that diva voice and attitude on June 29 at Place des Arts. As always in the past decade or so, the festival branches out from jazz to include the jazz-influenced, like She & Him, the duo of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, playing July 3 with Camera Obscura, and, much to the delight of long-time fans, Scottish indie-pop group Belle & Sebastian, in Montreal for one of only two North American festival stops, on July 5. And American trumpeter Wynton Marsalis plays with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, on June 28.

(Jazz Style) Though the festival loves to mix and match musical ways, it’s jazz that still makes up the majority of festival acts. Several great musicians play three hours of jazz at saxophonist-composer Wayne Shorter’s 80th Birthday Celebration on June 29 – including Shorter himself! Ever-popular Pink Martini blends jazz with swing, pop and suave ways on June 27. One of Canada’s greatest jazz voices, Holly Cole returns to the festival with her new album and jazz standards, June 27-29. Saxophonist Joshua Redman comes back complete with a quartet and string section and a new album on June 29. Grammy-winning guitarist and singer George Benson plays his smooth greatest hits from the ‘70s and much more on June 30. And the world-touring Preservation Hall Jazz Band gets everyone’s toes tapping to Dixieland on July 5.

(Top 5 Picks) As everyone’s taste is different, it’s hard to say what is a must-see at this year’s festival, but Aretha Franklin is probably a sure bet. Can’t go wrong with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings either, who always get the crowd dancing to their classic soul, modern R&B sound – see them July 3. Also on July 3, a double bill featuring New Orleans singer-pianist Dr. John and singer and multi-instrumentalist Leon Russell playing classic blues and ‘70s folk-rock is not to be missed. The saxophonist son of John Coltrane returns to Montreal with his Ravi Coltrane Quartet, playing June 28 after a five-year absence. And Oliver Jones shows us why he’s a jazz great and piano genius in a solo show on July 5. As the fest approaches, more acts are sure to be announced – big names and lesser knowns as well as major free outdoor concerts – so we’ll be adding to this list as summer approaches…

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THE DETAILS

Montreal International Jazz Festival, June 28-July 7, 2013

The post A SNEAK PEEK AT THE 2013 MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

There’s a feeling I get every summer I spend in Montreal that has me tickled pink. It starts at the end of June and grows until it reaches the climax the last few weeks of August. It’s the LGBT energy in the air. A feeling of pride, inclusiveness, community and yes, that famous humidity-heat thing. Now that we’re reluctantly being pulled into fall, check out the video for a gander back on some summer highlights in Montreal!

Divers/Cité was “all together different” this year with a big move to the Vieux-Port. And let me say, this festival practically double-rainbows the entire Old Port. Watching world class entertainment with the striking Montreal skyline in the background was a sight to behold. Tourists who would never usually attend such an event found themselves drawn in by the sounds of Divers/Cité’s roster of DJs, the world’s largest drag show Mascara, and live music from Quebec and International artists.

Fierte Montreal Pride 2012 broke records in their 6th year with over 320,000 total spectators! This is definitely attributed to the hard work in adding a variety of programming like the first ever official Dyke March, Kids Day, and the Generation Boomer show. Not to mention classics like T-Dance going to a whole new level with a performance by Shangela (beautifully captured by Montreal Buzz videographer Guillaume) that will knock your socks off.

The Fierte Montreal Pride Parade 2012 under the theme “Our Flag, Our Pride” drew another record crowd of 167,000 people along René-Levesque all thanks to the 3,000 energetic and divers participants! The jury awarded some parade floats in six categories with the “Most Crowd Pleasing Float” going to the Conseil Quebecois des Gais et Lesbiennes, and the “Corporate Float of the Year” going to Loblaws with their awesome rainbow shopping cart explosion:

Another community highlight was Pink Dot, a movement that originated in Asia and has hundreds of people making a giant pink dot in a silent yet powerful statement about global LGBT human rights.

Tourisme Montreal kept the competition fierce and the silliness fresh with the 3rd Edition of Queer of the Year! This was the first edition won by a female, Ivette Gonzalez-Alé and we can’t wait to have her back to Montreal as part of her prize package ! Check out all the QOTY shenanigans that went down here.

We’ll see everyone again next summer for another round of LGBT Pride events that only a place like Montreal could host with such flare and class.

The post MONTREAL’S LGBT SUMMER 2012 IN REVIEW appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

One little discovery I’ve only recently made is Moov Design on Mont-Royal. Designer and owner Line Brunel has her own collection of bathing suits – bikinis, tankinis and sultry one-piece cut-outs (pictured above) – which she makes on the spot, or, more accurately, in her atelier above the shop. If you have about ten days to spare, there is a made-to-measure service where you literally sit down with Line and work out the ideal suit for you. You choose the style of the cut, then the colour and pattern you’d like on your Italian Lycra, and all the little details. Can’t stand those knots in your back from the tie-up straps? How about a snap closure? Want solid fuchsia triangles and a polka dot full-cut bottom? Sold! Floor selections start at about $130, while custom numbers can go as high as $200.

If you’re downtown and strapped for cash, seek out H&M right on St-Catherine – there are two locations (one at Peel, the second between Parc and University) where you can get a decent ensemble for the same price as a couple of fancy cocktails. Bandeau and halter styles are the knock-off looks of the moment. Between the two H&Ms, behold Simons. For finicky types that appreciate a wide selection of brands, styles and prices, this Quebec-based department store should have your bases, er, parts, covered.

On the extreme high-end of budgets, you can sun worship in splendour outfitted by home-grown swimwear label Shan, located on Crescent. Besides on-the-spot adjustments, heated dressing room floors and haute quality all around, you’ll also get waves of choice in tops and bottoms, matching sheer cover-ups, resort dresses and glamazon sunglasses. If it’s any indication, Shan has a sister location on Collins Avenue in Miami. Si, señorita, Shan is that sexy.

Shan also sells bathing trunks for men. Or if Mr. Man doesn’t find what he likes there (hey, not everyone’s Colin Farrell), he can get St-Tropez chic by walking a few blocks to the Vilbrequin boutique inside Ogilvy’s (one level below main floor), which is, yup, on St-Catherine as well.

If your idea of beach attire also includes a dash of daring, head up to the Plateau neighbourhood and go to Sunnyside on stroll-happy St-Denis. Owner Josée-Anne Trudel imports the teeniest of bikinis from Brazil, passing off a “medium” in Rio for a “small” in Montreal. (I’m resisting a Brazilian wax joke here, have mercy.) She also has her own line called Nana, a more manageable Brazil-inspired cut that’s decidedly less risqué on this side of the equator.

If you’re in the area, you might also want to check out June Design. It’s a local label available at Unicorn, one of my fave little indie boutiques in the Mile End. Lots of cute bikinis in bandeau or halter styles with matching bottoms, many with flirty shoe-string tie-ups. Pieces sold separately are $50 each. The wild safari print, one-piece cut-out is $100.

Now, if someone could just point me in the direction of the closest swimming pool…

The post WHERE TO BUY A BATHING SUIT IN MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

When was the last time you did something fun? Like, really fun? Maybe it’s high time to treat your self to a gentleman’s night of MMA, boxing and Motocross. Spring has sprung, so let’s see what Masculine May has to offer…

Club Soda is hosting RisingStar 3 MMA event on May 14^th.  Heads will roll. Testosterone levels will soar. Prayers will be answered. Babes will wear bikinis. You can expect to see several fights at Club Soda, but the main event is the heavyweight battle between Josh Golding and Lenard Terrance and the co main event is between Brett Portieous and Dany St-Gelais Cornwall. Club Soda is offering an entire evening of reckoning, so go early and stay late. Tickets range from $40 general admission, to $100 dollar on the stage sweat flying in your face seats.

But perhaps you’re more interested in (sometimes) death defying stunts. I get that, and so do the people who organize the FMX Motocross Freestyle Challenge this Saturday May 14^th at the Bell Center. Watch some guys on motorcycles perform all kinds of dangerous stunts, apparently the back flip is considering the Holy Grail of FMX Motocross, so if you go you might get lucky enough to see one of those in real life. Tickets range from $29 – $99 so this event can also be rather wallet friendly.

Who doesn’t like watching modern day gladiator’s fight in a ring? Nobody and his sister, that’s who. Whether you’re into the human drama or just the gore, there’s nothing better than settling in to watch a good old fashioned, hotly anticipated boxing match the 21st of May. Jean Pascal and Bernard Hopkins are going to duke it out again after their December fight in Quebec City resulted in a majority draw. These two have garnered a lot of press lately, probably because a recent Montreal press conference erupted into a shoving match on account of Pascal’s incessant chirping. Based on how annoying Pascal is in this video, my money’s on Hopkins

Plus if Hopkins wins he’ll be the oldest fighter to win a world title (at 46) and he is already defended his world middleweight title a record twenty times,so what’s one more? Guaranteed it’ll be a lot better than that bar fight you saw that one time. Pascal and Hopkins will be sorting out their problems in the ring the old fashioned way on May 21st at the Bell Center.

After that’s said and done and you’re all amped on an intoxicating cocktail of hard alcohol and energy drinks, why not exhibit your masculinity at Conjurations 2011, the Live Action Role Playing or “LARP” convention and gaming marathon on May 14^th and 15^th. You’d think that with their big brains, nerds would know better than to all be at one place at one time. On the other hand, maybe they deliberately scheduled this event to coincide with the MMA matches and the Motocross show so that their oppressors would be too busy to heckle them. Think again, poindexters. Am I right?

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Details

Club Soda

1225, boul Saint-Laurent

514 286-1010

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Jean Pascal vs. Bernard Hopkins @ Bell Center

May 21st – 7:00 pm

Tickets range from $47 – $800

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Conjurations 2011

137 Avenue du Président Kennedy,

http://www.ggconventions.com

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Guest Blogger: Sophie Naima Caird

photo credit: hopkinsvspascal.com, imxmag.blogspot.com,  theprincessinanothercastle.blogspot.com

The post MMA, MOTOCROSS & BOXING OH MAY (in Montreal) appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Montreal’s Gay Village is amazing no matter what time of the year it is. With the in vogue restaurants, unique boutiques, and cozy cafés, the Village is always a thriving cultural scene. However, nothing is as spectacular as Aires Libres. This is when the gays have been cooped up for too many months, and just burst out into the summer in style. The gays go big, or they go home. So what exactly is it?

Aires Libres is when Rue Ste. Catherine between Berri and Papineau closes down to automotive and cycling traffic and becomes a pedestrian paradise. Themed decorations go up, terraces on every single restaurant, café and club roll out and the gays come on down for another summer of fun. Aires Libres has been such a smash success that every year it gets longer and more impressive. This year, Aires Libres will be stretching deep into September!

The Village undergoes a serious facelift as well. Themes in the past have been really cool! Two years ago was a “come hang out in the village” with hanging clotheslines, and vines to make the Village look like a cute European alley. Last year appeared to be a Wonderland Rose Garden with huge planters of roses, and tiny lights strung throughout the streets. It was all very romantic and enchanting. Judging from the Aires Libres 2011 website, we can expect a “pink bubble” theme, but only on May 18^th will we know for sure. Urban outdoor architect Claude Cormier (the artistic creator for Aires Libres 2011) must have come up with something dazzling!

Aires Libres is an important part of Montreal’s summer. It acts as a stage for the many events that happen in and around the Village. From Divers/cité, Pride, and Community Day, to the Fireworks every Saturday night where crowds gather near Papineau under the Jacques Cartier Bridge. Aires Libres has become a yearly tradition that not only has economical importance, but ecological as well.

So who wants to hold my hand and take a stroll this summer down Aires Libres with me? We can explore the terraces, and watch the street performers!

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DETAILS

Aires Libres

May 18^th – September, 2011

Rue Ste. Catherine between Berri and Papineau

http://www.aireslibres.com/

Guest blogger: Alex Dunphy

Photo credit: SDC du Village, Tourisme-Montreal

The post AIRES LIBRES 2011 IN THE GAY VILLAGE appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

In the summer, the centrally-located Mount Royal park is home to the Tam Tams, picnics, scenic views, leisurely walks and all sorts of way more strenuous athletics. In winter, as the video above demonstrates, the mountain stays extremely active. The fact that this amazing resource is only a couple short city blocks away from many Montrealers is one of the truly great selling points of the city. Mount Royal boasts a range of iconic features, like The Cross, which can be seen from all over the city, and St. Joseph’s Oratory, the spectacular basilica to whom Saint André Bessette is indelibly connected.

While we’re on the subject of Mount Royal, the National Film Board (NFB) has created an incredible, interactive and award-winning website that asks all fans of the mountain, Montrealers and visitors alike, to share memories of their time spent there…

In short, Holy Mountain (Sacrée Montagne) is an ever-evolving love letter to Mount Royal. It asks visitors to call 1-877-55-SOUVENIR and record a message about their memories of the mountain. These messages then become a part of the soundtrack that everyone who visits the website can hear when exploring the site. So, even if you’ve only visited Montreal briefly, you can become a permanent part of why Mount Royal will always be a special part of Montreal.

And, while the video above does show how special the mountain is in the winter, let’s face it- everything is nicer under the summer sun. We’ll make sure to make another video showing you why…

The post WINTER ON MOUNT ROYAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

La fête des Neiges is the perfect way to get your kids out and about during these cold winter months. They can play hockey or skate around, shoot down the zip line, go sledding or stroll through the park’s many trails. There’s really no shortage of family-friendly activities. While La fête des Neiges does end soon, Parc Jean-Drapeau keeps up the fun 365 days a year. Created to host Expo 67, it’s home to the Olympic Basin, Buckminster Fuller’s iconic Biosphere, a beach filled with fun and Quebec’s largest amusement park, La Ronde. This is just the start of the good times you can have out there, but check the video above and ask yourself- what kid wouldn’t love to spend a day outside with that many amazing things to do? Sure beats an Xbox.

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DETAILS

La fête des Neiges

Parc Jean-Drapeau

1 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, (514) 872-6120

(TIP: The best way to get there is by Metro)

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