Expose: Buenos Aires » Entertainment

Zizek

Matt — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:30:50 +0000

One of the top parties in the city, Zizek gave light to what is know globally known as Cumbia digital. It started as a small weekly clubnight, and in a short amount of time became one of the best week night events in Buenos Aires. That’s no small feat considering the plethora of party options available in Argentina´s capital. Nevertheless, the success of Zizek had only just begun. The weekly parties led to CD releases, tours around the country, and finally, tours around the world, including a performance at one of the globe’s biggest festivals – Roskilde.

Buenos Aires is where cumbia digital started, and if you are in BA now, don’t miss a chance to see it where it all began. ZIzek nights feature electronic music that can best be described as a mash up of cumbia with reggaeton, dancehall, hip-hop and any possible variation you can think of. Think lots of hip-hop/reggaton samples, with that signature rolling cumbia rythm. Nevertheless, as Cumbia Digital becomes more popular, more and more DJs are popping up around the world, which is leading to the mixing of new and different sounds and the evolution of a genre. Zizek continues to push the boundaries of the music they started, and the style is now more of a mashup of traditional/indigenous music and rythms with electronic overlays and hip hop samples.

For more information, including music and future club nights, visit: http://zzkrecords.com/

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Ciudad Emergente – Recoleta Cultural Center

Matt — Mon, 17 May 2010 03:40:02 +0000

Ciudad Emergente is a festival dedicated to showcasing a variety of “emerging” art forms in Argentina . It basically four days straight of performances, displays and exhibits of up-and-coming artists in rock, pop, fashion, film, street art, hip hop, animation, poetry, y digital art. Here is what you can expect to see in each:

Rock – some of the better (mainly) Argentine rock bands that are just breaking into the scene. There are performances of all different styles of rock, including some music that is more pop and folk than rock.

Film – new and old “rockumentaries” and other documentaries about music.

Street Art – Some of Argentina’s best graffiti artists will be on display.

Fashion – fashion shows by talented young designers

Hip hop – some of the cities best hip hop and break-dancers dancers, along with emerging hip hop DJs.

Digital Art and animation – a variety of digital art and animation displays.

If you are at all interested in what they call cultura joven (young culture) in Argentina, this is a great chance to see it all in one place. Without events such as Ciudad Emergente, this type of art and culture remains mostly underground and is only known about by those who are “part of the scene”. This event gives you a chance to be part of it.

Ciudad Emergente is a FREE event that takes place over five days at the Centro Cultural de Recoleta. For information and schedules, visit: http://www.ciudademergente.gob.ar

When: June
Where: Recoleta Cultural Center
Why: Your best chance to see all forms of Argentina’s rich, emerging cultural arts scene.

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Pacha

Matt — Wed, 12 May 2010 02:56:33 +0000

Pacha is one of the largest chains of nightclubs worldwide, known for their large, high end venues and talented DJs they attract. Pacha Buenos Aires fits this description perfectly, and is arguably the best spot in Buenos Aires for electronic music.

The club is located on the Costanera Norte, slightly north of the Jorge Newberry airport. It is a large, whitewashed building right by the water, with a great view of the rio de la plata. On hot summer nights you can almost feel as though you’ve gone to Ibiza.

Pacha is three stories high, the first one being the largest, and is the main room where the headliner will play. It has very high ceilings, lots of disco balls and lasers, and very good sound. The second floor acts as a mezzanine, and overlooks the main floor. It is more of a chill area, and has tables and a small bar. The third floor is a separate room altogether, and is often used as a VIP lounge. There is usually another DJ playing in this room, and outside of the room is a huge balcony with a great view of the river. In the summer, on the patio off of the main floor there will often be a DJ spinning outside as well.

Pacha truly is the prime spot to see the world’s best international Djs. Past shows include Dave Seaman, Christopher Lawrence, Nick Warren, John Acquaviva, John Creamer….the list goes on, and usually at least one month there is a performance by a very good international DJ. The best night to go is Saturday nights, which is the only night that is always electronic music. Fridays are usually some smaller party, often featuring some other type of music, and they only open the third floor. It’s a totally different club on these nights, and not recommended if you’re looking for electronic music.

There is no dress code at Pacha, although shorts are rarely allowed (unless you’re female) and no flip flops (again, females can probably get away with it). Dress is very informal, typically jeans and t-shirts, and lots of people wearing sunglasses. The crowd is mainly late teens to early twenties, and for the most part, there is a good vibe in the club.

Pacha is one of the more expensive discos, with cover costing $40 pesos +, and highballs $25 +

Bottom Line: One of the top places in BA to hear the world’s best electronic music. A very nice club, though gets a little overcrowded.

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La Rural

Matt — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:11:55 +0000

La Rural is a massive events center, with over 5,000 m2 of indoor space, and another 10.000 m2 of outdoor space. It hosts some of the most important South American festivals and events, such as the Book Fair, Arte BA, and the Vinos and Bodegas expo.

It is located right off of Plaza Italia, making it very easily accessible, and also has a large parking lot for those who want to drive. This is also a main vein for many of the buses that go the Buenos Aires provincial.

You can find out all the events that take place in La Rural by visiting their homepage.

La Rural is also home to the Opera Pampa, a gaucho dinner show. This is an event that combines dancing, theatre, and gauchos skills, all into one amazing show.

For show times and prices, visit: http://www.operapampa.com.ar

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Food and Wine Expo at the Palacion Paz

Matt — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:46:55 +0000

If you can only make it to one wine event, this is the one you shouldn´t miss. Known as the Expo de Cuisine & Vins, it is put on by the magazine of the same name. By attending the event, you get to try hundreds of Argentine wines as well as different cheeses, chocolates, and other gastronomical pleasures. However, the big draw for this event is the elegant setting, taking place at the Palacio Paz.

This palace was built at the beginning of the 20^th century for the Argentine diplomat Jose C. Paz. During this time, French architecture was all the rage in Buenos Aires, and Sr. Paz decided to build one of the most expensive and lavish mansions in the area. It was designed by a French architect, and once inside this palace, you’ll feel as though you’ve moved to France in the early 1900’s.

Now if that doesn’t sound like the ideal setting to drink wine, I don’t know what is.

When: Sometime in May or early June
Where: Palacio Paz
Why: A swanky wine event in an incredible setting – a turn of the century French palace.
More Info: http://www.cuisine.com.ar/

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Buenos Aires Book Fair – Feria de Libros

Matt — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:37:03 +0000

One of the largest and most important cultural events of the year, the Feria de Libros is an event that anyone should try to get to once. Taking place at La Rural, and using the entire space, the book fair is comprised of over 1,000 exhibitors, mainly different publishing companies from Argentina and around the world. Each publisher sets up a space with a selection of their books, open for purchase by the public. Some amazing deals can be found, as the publishers often sell the books at a discount.

Many publishers have the same or similar books, so it does take some time to go through the whole fair. Although the majority of publishers are Latin American, there are publishers from other countries that sell books in their country’s native tongue. There are also various publishers that specialize in specific areas, such as languages or science.

Something that the majority of the public tends to miss are the variety of round tables, discussions, book signings, and other events that take place. These provide a great opportunity to learn more about literature in Argentina and the rest of South America.

A few things to keep in mind:

- try to stay away from the fair on weekends, or you will likely run into long line-ups to get into the fair, in addition to long line-ups at every exhibitor. The best time to visit the fair is during the day Monday to Friday, or on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings.

- the best way to visit the book fair is to make a day out of it. Go early, and take your time working your way through the different exhibits, sit down for a coffee, and then keep browsing. Its not an event you can expect to enter and leave in a short amount of time.

- many publishers offer huge discounts on the the last weekend of the event. Be sure to attend those days if possible, although try to go right at the beginning of the day.

- if you are a student, you get free entry, so bring your student ID!

- Clarin and La Nacion also have their own exhibits, and you have the chance to purchase all of the special books that they see throughout the year in their newspapers. Sometimes they are classis books, encyclopedias, books about science, reference books, kids books, etc. and they are always very cheap!

When: April
Where: La Rural
Why: A massive selection of books for great prices.
More Info: http://www.el-libro.org.ar/

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Southfest

Matt — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:28:51 +0000

A one night extravaganza of some of the world´s top international DJs, this is a night of high quality sound, great visuals, and amazing talent, all packed into one room. In the past three years, performers include Paul Oakenfold, John Digweed, Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx, Steve Lawler, and Sasha.

Southfest is one of the three major electronic music festivals held in Buenos Aires, and because it is smaller than Creamfields or the SAMC, it tends to have a better vibe. The event takes place in Costa Salguero, which is where many different electronic music events take place. It is nicely set-up for these events, and offers great sound and visuals. It is also easy to access.

For more information such as dates, DJs, and prices go to: http://www.southfest.net

When: Varies every year
Where: Costa Salguero
Why: One night with some of the world’s top DJs

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BAFICI – Buenos Aires Festival of International Independent Film

Matt — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:15:11 +0000

The BAFICI always brings a lot of hype, for its importance as one of the worlds top film festivals. It provides residents and tourists of Buenos Aires to see a huge selection of international independent movies. There are over 1000 events including seminars, round tables, and presentations, attended by over 220,000 people. You get to choose from all styles of movies made from directors from all parts of the world. The movies are shown in cinemas throughout the capital, and for about 1/3 to ½ the cost of what a movie would normally cost. In 2009, the festival incorporated the BAFICITO, which included a selection animated movies for kids.

For more information, check out the BAFICI website: http://www.bafici.gob.ar/home/web/en/index.html. You will find schedules and descriptions for all movies and events, and they are available in English. You can even purchase your tickets online, to ensure you get a spot in the theatre. Some of the more popular movies sell out well in advance, so it is recommended that you purchase your tickets in advance.

When: End of March/Beginning of April
Where: Various movie theatres
Why: Great chance to see some of the best independent films from around the world

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Dakar Rally Buenos Aires

Matt — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:33:28 +0000

The Dakar Rally is an intense off-road race that goes from Argentina to Chile and back to Argentina. It was inaugurated in 1978, and was originally between Paris and and Dakar. Unfortunately, due to politics, terrorist threats, and basic security issues, the race was deemed too dangerous to continue with the same route. The race was cancelled in 2008, and in 2009, the Dakar was officially moved to South America.

The race now involves over 300 vehicles that cover on average 600km a day, over a huge variety of terrain (desert, sand dunes, mud, rocks, roads, etc.). This is no sightseeing lollydrive through beautiful terrain…. throughout the years, there have been numerous fatalities. Although the terrain is the most difficult challenge, drivers also have to deal with high heat, storms, fatigue, and mechanical failures. The entire race takes two weeks, with a one day rest in between. For full details on the route, visit the Dakar.com webpage. They give detailed descriptions of the terrain that the drivers must traverse each day, giving you the chance to visualize this amazing race. For example: …the competitors will have to deal with a first test. The change of context will be radical: with a switch from earth to sand and especially a dune portion of close to 30 kilometres….have to adapt to a change of climate and especially sand storms that are frequent…

The Dakar rally is an exciting, high profile race that is followed by dozens of countries worldwide, and involves huge investments into the some of the competing teams. The event can be followed on TV or online (http://www.dakar.com), and each day, there is a public viewing area depending on where the drivers are at the time. If you are living in Buenos Aires, you can be part of the inauguration ceremonies, giving you the chance to meet the drivers and see some of the vehicles that will be participating in the event.

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Argentine Polo Open Championship

Matt — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:55:15 +0000

At the end of December, one of the most important Polo tournaments in the world happens in Palermo. Not only is it one of the most important, it is also one of the oldest in the world (started in 1893).

Although this is an important event for Polo lovers, it is also a great chance for people who nothing about Polo to watch some of the best Polo in the world. It is easy to get tickets to the round robin games, and unlike Argentine football games, there is no chaos going to or leaving the field. Although Polo is an expensive sport to play, tickets to these games are rather cheap, starting at around $20 pesos.

To purchase tickets, you can either go to the Polo Field in Palermo, or you can buy them online at Ticketek. The tickets first come on sale as a package for all six dates, but if you only want to see one game, the tickets come on sale a few days before the match.

Don’t know anything about the rules? The basic rules are easy to learn, here is a website with a simple explanation: http://www.polo.co.uk/polo_rules.htm

You can also check out the Argentine Polo Association’s website, which has information about teams and dates. http://www.aapolo.com/

When: End of November/Beginning of December
What: One of the greatest polo events in the world, this tournament attracts some of the world´s greatest polo teams.
Why: Highly recommended for Polo fans, and anyone who has an interest of seeing an amazing sport. Also great for people that like horses.
More information: http://www.polo.co.uk/polo_rules.htm

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