Burlesque performance – the naughty elder-sister of cabaret and theatrical sub-genre of erotic dance, born in Hollywood’s über glamorous Golden age – has exploded in popularity over the last several years and is now one of the hottest tickets in town.

Perhaps it is our way of harking back towards the polished elegance of times gone by (something that many feel our society lacks, somewhat), but it is more likely to do with the simple fact that it would be difficult not to have a rollicking good time in the presence of cocktails, big-band music and and sequined lingerie. Either way, with the already thriving rockabilly and pin-up scene here, it was only a matter of time before this unique breed of feisty variety show descended on Barcelona.

Once a month the aptly named spectacle, Taboo, transforms the well-trodden dance floor of the Apolo nightclub into a dominion of golden age Hollywood sophistication, presenting us with an invigorating peek into the brazen realm of Burlesque performance – an entirely different beast to the sleazy world of stripping.

With satirical stage names like Fanny Divine and Ana Fur Laxis, the porcelain beauties come bedecked in vintage-inspired, glamorous undergarments, bringing a generous smattering of ironic humour to the stage. Between acts the magnificent Madame Taboo presents the in-house Rhythm’n’Blues and swing band, Mambo Jambo, entertaining with her own breed of Spanish sass. And then there are the magic tricks – a smorgasbord of old-skool sword swallowing, hulahooping and circus-trickery which would be incomplete without an obligatory bashful assistant from the audience.

All of this to be enjoyed with a complimentary glass of Cava, followed by a steeply-priced cocktail or Cubata (licquor and mixer) from the list, if you’re lucky enough to have secured a table with personal waiter service. Try to book in advance if you can as the event is extremely popular; tables need to be booked in advance and cost 16€ on top of the 15€ entrance fee – check website for details. Taboo usually takes place on the second or third week of the month and the next evening is on 22nd December.


Sala Apolo
C/ Nou de La Rambla, 113
Tel: 93 301 00 90
www.myspace.com/tabooapolo
www.sala-apolo.com

There is something distinctively festive about ballets – all that plush white tulle against an inky black stage, the porcelain ballerinas floating in mid-air like delicate snowflakes. Restore the rosiness to your cheeks this winter with an opulent ballet by the world-famous Russian Mariinsky School at the stunning Liceu Teatre.

Performing between 23rd and 27th November, the ballet Le Corsaire is based on a poem with the same name by Lord Byron and was first performed at the Théâtre Impérial of the Opéra de Paris in 1896. It is a dark, romantic tale of a pirate captain willing to risk the love of his life to save a slave from a Turkish harem, ignoring conventions and questioning strict status quo of the time.

The recent revision of Le Corsaire has injected this classical nineteenth century Ballet with a fresh edge whilst conserving dance traditions and proudly showcasing the immense talent of the Grand Russian Ballet tradition. A magnificent spectacle not to be missed.

Ticket prices vary depending on the location in the theatre: check the website for details

Gran Teatre de Liceu
La Rambla, 51-59
Tel: 93 485 99 00

www.liceubarcelona.cat

The Beefeater In-Edit festival has finally returned to Barcelona for its ninth edition, opening our eyes and ears to the world of music documentaries between 27th October and 6th November. In the arena for the opening ceremony are both music heavyweights and the creator of the Music Documentary genre, Michael Nyman – all expected to pack a strong punch at the 2011 event.

In his most recent, unfinished work, Michael Nyman In Progress, the attention of the camera is reversed onto himself as a refreshing study of filmmaker as artist behind the showreel. In doing so, Nyman sets the tone for the 2011 edition by encouraging us to consider the exceptional skill required by directors to create films for this genre.

“First and foremost,” comments Luis Hidalgo, the Artistic Director of the festival, “we give importance to the way the stories are interpreted, as opposed to star value of the artist”. He means what he says – although one film by Ray Davies may have filled cinema seats, it simply didn’t meet the rigorous quality requirements this year. And with this year’s festival boasting 45 newcomers to the world of the music documentary, there is certainly an impressive roster of new talent and fresh perspectives at our disposition.

There is undoubtedly something for everyone here, with films including internationally renowned musicians David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Kings of Leon, Toots and the Maytals, Queen, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen on the silver screen for our enjoyment – not to mention the variety of other documentaries with the exploration of music at their core.

The full programme is available to view online, tickets must be reserved in advance and are only available to buy from the website or at the ticket office on C/ Muntaner 24. Check website for details.

Beefeater In-Edit Festival
C/ Rosselló 222, 1r 2a
Tel: 93 356 82 53
www.in-edit.beefeater.es

The Day of the dead with live Mexicans at Cosmo galería
Opening on 28th October, a rather cryptically titled exhibition, Día de Muertos, will showcase the finest new artistic discoveries in the way of skulls, bones, flesh and flouro-folk art. As a testament to the nation’s obsession with death, this Collective Exhibition of Live Mexicans will be looking death squarely in the eye, and (hopefully) surviving until 27th November. The inauguration begins at 20:00, with complementary Mexican beer on tap. See you at the bar.

Cosmo Galería
C/Enric Granados 3
Tel: 934 53 70 07
www.galeriacosmo.com
See our previous Cosmo blog here

Pan de muerto at Tlaxcal Taquería

Anytime between 31st October and 2nd November, make your way to Tlaxcal Taquería (taco restaurant) in the Borne district to enjoy a freshly baked Pan de Muerto (death bread), a delicately flavoured anise and orange blossom pastry. It is decorated with circular plaits to represent the cycle of life and death and adorned with teardrops to illustrate the sadness of lost loved ones.

A relatively new addition to the Mexican food scene here, Tlaxcal has gained critical acclaim with its homely yet perfectly contemporary Mexican cuisine. Whether you are a seasoned aficionado or a total principante to Mexican gastro-mania, once you have discovered the universal pleasures of a soft, floury tortilla stuffed with tender pork, topped generously with fresh salsa verde and an oozing pile of melting cheese, it will have you returning to the same restaurant for your fix time and time again. And another phenomena of good Mexican cuisine is the hospitality – wherever you are in the world, you will always feel at home.

Monday and Wednesday from 10:00 to 00:00
Thursday from 10:00 to 02:30
Friday from 10:00 to 03:00
Saturday from 12:00 to 03:00
Sunday from 12:00 to 00:00
Closed on Tuesdays

Tlaxcal Taquería
C/Comerç 27
Tel: 932 684 134
www.tlaxcal.com

This 22nd and 23rd October will see over 160 architecturally interesting buildings throw open their doors to the public for free as part of “48h openhouse,” a world-spanning initiative whose goals are to showcase fine design in the context of each city’s architectural heritage. A concept with roots in London, Openhouse has been globally opening doors since 1992 and Barcelona joined the community at last year´s inaugural festival.

Architect Janice Moret, member of ArquitecturaReversible, the association that organizes the event, comments:

“The 48H Open House BCN is an opportunity to learn about, in a personal way, the emblematic buildings of the city and also the more hidden ones. It is a chance to talk about the buildings we have and those we want to improve our immediate surroundings”.

It is an exciting opportunity to see the way locals really live in the city, be it in an office, library, private house, historical building or monastery. Some buildings operate a “free for all” policy whilst others are a little more stringent, requiring prior reservation with guide. Take a look at the openhouse website for details.

48h Openhouse
Various locations throughout Barcelona
www.48hopenhousebarcelona.org

16th-18th September

Once a derelict Industrial district, Poble Nou has been undergoing a dramatic transformation in recent years and although located well off the beaten track, is now flourishing as an important artistic and musical hub in Barcelona.

Many factories and warehouses have been converted into ambitious lofts, galleries and shops, and this September resident artists and owners will be throwing open their doors to present the finest of their artistic endeavors for the fourth year running.

The spaces will be representing work by international photographers, Illustrators and graphic designers by day (a few of the most popular galleries include Niu, HANGAR and La Escosa) and cutting edge displays of the latest in audiovisual media by night – 17 September will see events beginning at 8pm on the “Escenari Top” (Top Stage) on Calle Pallars/Calle Roc Boronat.

- Programme
- Niu Barcelona
- La Escosa
- HANGAR


This event coincides with The Corner Festival which starts at 7pm on Friday, 16th September @ La Plataforma: A brand new creative space / gallery in Poble Nou. The corner festival is a bi-monthly event that celebrates art and creativity in all its forms. It will bring together an entertaining mix of art, design, music film and performance.

The Corner Festival

At 6.30pm on Sunday 25th September the show climaxes with an almighty procession of dancing devils and dragons on Via Laietana.

- BAM music lineup
- Official Mercè site (website in English, programme in Catalan only)

Sònar started out as something very different to the festival that folk who flock to it today consider it to be. For years it’s been considered the leading avant-garde and experimental festival in Europe and one of the best in the world. Forget the crowds and the techno attached to it. The truth is that in its 16 years of history Sònar has maintained an experimental roster and essence of the highest quality. The resulting fest is a great bet if you’re up for discovering amazing new experimental and unusual acts and for dancing your sweet ‘lil toosh off all day and night long!

When: Middle of June

www.sonar.es

LEM

If there’s one festival that people will associate with the words “Barcelona” and “experimental” it’s LEM. This festival’s approach in uniquely innovative on a number of levels: For a whole month it integrates itself with the lives of its visitors by programming one or two shows a day in intimate venues and, what’s more most of them are free.

What you’ll find at LEM is a much more laid back approach to the stereotypical festival modus operandi: instead of being on your feet all day trying to cram in as many shows as possible, LEM offers you the chance to sip on a glass of wine or a cold beer and devote all your attention to the show. The gigs are usually held in the Gracia neighbourhood, and the artists invited are the crème de la crème of the avant-garde. The music you’ll hear at this fest defies the very limits of music, sound and the imagination. It’s sound Jim…. But not as we know it; not as we know it…

When: October

www.gracia-territori.com

Cap Sembrat

The name of this festival literally means “sown” head, and no less avant-garde than its title is the festival’s motto: “weirder is better.” It’s therefore no surprise that this festival is a bit of a hit or miss thing. Some editions have been incredible while others have been a bit dense, but all come with the (non-refundable) guarantee that there’ll be enough noise to fry your brains good and proper if that’s what you’re after.

This festival was founded in 2005 by Arnau Sala and Sam Roig. Arnau also runs Ozonokids, a record label that has its name editing experimental and psychedelic music with an uncompromising attitude. Sam Roig is behind L’Ull Cec, which promotes incredible shows all year round.

The festival changes venue each year and while some have been really amazing locations, others left a lot to be desired. Still, there’s no disputing that over the years Cap Sembrat has gained a cult following on both a national and international scale.

When: There’s no set date or time of year for this fest, it changes every year; sometimes there are two editions per year.

www.capsembrat.info

Impronits Aixònoéspànic

Víctor Nubla, the creative director behind LEM festival and free improvisation band Aixònoéspanic have a residency in Electric Bar in Gràcia where they play jam sessions with various guest artists every month.

It’s an interesting experience, which can transport you to very different psychedelic landscapes each time. If you haven’t been up there yet, check, Electric Bar out: in addition to a spectrum of experimental and avant-garde music events, the venue boasts the best and most bizarre artistes including poets and storytellers. Who wants to live in the real world anyway?

When: Every third Wednesday of the month.

www.gracia-territori.com

www.electricbarcelona.com

MP7 Music in Progress

BCN-mp7 is the CCCB’s surrealist but tuneful experimental music festival that runs seven sessions of creation, production and debate about contemporary popular music.

Besides live fusion and friction multiple music genre concerts, the cycle also involves colloquiums devoted to open critical reflection on the current music scene. New technology is also brought into the light, tried and tested.

When: Monthly from around March to November.

www.cccb.org