Essential Marbella Magazine May 2010

FREE MAGAZINE - COSTA DEL SOL Nº - MAY 2010

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Fashion Fever Miss Sixty & Urban Goddess DAVID BOWIE Starman Immortal FABULOUS FENDI

Iconic Groups & SINGING STARS ON THE COAST

Magic of the

MUSIC

Opera Cities

Amazing Opera Houses of the World

theVIBE what’s buzzing

N E W S I C U LT U R E I P E O P L E I T R E N D I C H I C I S P A I P R O I T R AV E L L E R I G O U R M E T & M O R E

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Issue 133 • May 2010

S

publisher and director general manager

T A

F

F

Iain Blackwell director@essentialmagazine.com Andrea S. Böjti sales@essentialmagazine.com

associate editor

Marisa Cutillas editorial@essentialmagazine.com

associate editor

Belinda Beckett features@essentialmagazine.com

production manager

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office administrator creative director staff photographer design & layout contributing writers cover photography contributing photographers Staji fashion feature printing depósito legal editorial & advertising offices

Monika Böjti info@essentialmagazine.com Andrea S. Böjti Kevin Horn Inma Aurioles Andrea Black, Iain Blackwell, Rupert Bluff, Paul Brazell, Annie Heese, AJ Linn, Phil Morse, George Prior, Victoria Wood Lady Gaga courtesy of Cordon Press Famous, Paul Brazell, Trevor Brooks, Gary Edwards, Johnny Gates, CJ Hadlow, York Hovest, David Toms Courtesy of Tanja Stadler Jiménez Godoy A. Gráficas, Murcia D.L. MA-512-99 Complejo La Póveda, Blq. 3, 1º A, CN 340, km 178.2, 29600 Marbella, Málaga. Tel: 952 766 344 Fax: 952 766 343

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Enclosed: 116m2, Terraces: 16m2. Price reduced from €785,000 to €625,000. Ref 5657

Covering Marbella’s Golden Mile with offices opposite the Marbella Club Hotel and at Puente Romano Hotel.

Since

1904

Tel. +34 952 863 750 Fax. +34 952 822 111 Rentals Direct: +34 952 90 10 15 info@panorama.es www. panorama.es LEADING PROPERTY AGENTS OF SPAIN

contents

May 2010

the news the spa

80

Films Releases 18 Latest DVD Releases 20 Book Releases 22 CD Releases 24

the theme Changes Bowie 28 The History of Music 30 Rupert Bluff on Mad Musicians 36 Icons of Music 38 Lady Gaga 46 Voices of the Coast 48 Humour – Blues Lyrics 56

94 The Rainbow Treatment by Young Living 96 Beauty News 98 The Healing Power of Music 100 Health News 102 Aria Medical Group on What’s Hot on the Beauty Scene

the vibe 105 Social Pages

the pro 112 Enterprise 123 Panorama: 40 Years in Marbella 126 Debt Management

the trend the traveller Aston Martin Rapide Fire 58 Golf: Los Arqueros 60 Marketing Essentials on the Internet 62 Facebook Explained 64 Earth Hour 66

the chic Patricia Darch Interiors 68 Décor News 76 Art News 78 Miss Sixty Rock Chick Fashion 80 Staji: Urban City Goddess 86 Fashion News 90

128 The Hotel Meliá La Quinta 130 Famous Opera Houses

the gourmet 139 Suite 141 Polynesian’s 142 Food News 144 Chef’s Profile: Benôit of Zozoï 146 Wine People: Bibiana García of Bodega Cortijo Los Aguilares 148 Listings

the blog

46

159 Pet News 160 What’s On in May 162 Your Stars for the Month Ahead

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Itinerary: Date

Day

04/11 TH 05/11 F 06/11 S 07/11 SU

08/11 M

09-14 T-SU 15/11 M 16/11 T 17/11 W

Port of Call

Málaga, Spain Casablanca, Morocco Day at Sea Las Palmas, Canary Islands Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands Days at Sea Roseau, Dominica Castries, St Lucia Bridgetown, Barbados

Arrive Depart

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For enquiries, please email: sales@essentialmagazine.com or contact: Peter Conway-Hann, Tel: 609 557 423 or (350) 200 60346.

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publisher

‘s

letter

Music is awe inspiring, soul enriching, enrapturing. It has the power to change our lives.

It can move us, relax us, entrance us, excite us, caress us, sadden us and enhance us. Its diversity is enormous, from tribal to folk to classical to opera, from blues to rock to disco to house, the genres being virtually endless with many styles crossing over delineated boundaries.

Growing up in the 70s was an exciting time with the modern era of music coming of age – rock, glam, heavy metal, progressive, disco, punk, romantic, new wave – the trends influencing much of youth culture, values, fashion, dress codes, hair styles, with many artists attaining superstardom, helped by TV, radio, record releases and touring. Some of the same icons who shaped that period are still revered today, amazingly enough through all generations, and we see many of them still performing!

With such an all-encompassing theme, we celebrate our 11th anniversary here at with an edition dedicated to the magic of music.

It’s all here in these pages so get in the groove with us, from suave Bowie to crazy Lady Gaga and many other outstanding acts both before and between, spanning the last half century.

We waltz through a brief history of music, receive a culture injection at some of the World’s most famous Opera Houses and get down and dirty with Rock Chick Fashion and Urban City Goddess.

Closer to home, we talk with some of the highly-rated singers who regularly support events on the coast. Don’t miss our humourous look at the antics of some eccentric composers and the unique art of writing blues lyrics. Finally, we investigate how music can heal us and keep us sound and healthy.

After such a Magnum Opus, feel free to chill out with some of our regular relaxing and informative content, thus keeping yourself in the picture with magazine.

We’ll be back next month with another great issue that’s already being put together for your appreciative edification.

Rock On

In Love with Music

By Iain Blackwell

La música nos inspira, nos enriquece y nos enamora. Tiene el poder de cambiar nuestras vidas.

Es capaz de emocionarnos, relajarnos, estimularnos, excitarnos, acariciarnos, entristecernos y mejorarnos.

Su diversidad es amplia, desde el blues hasta el rock, el disco y el house, sus géneros no tienen fin y son capaces de cruzar las fronteras y borrar límites.

Crecer en los 70 fue increíble, con la modernización de la música de la década – estilos como el rock, glam, heavy, progresivo, disco, punk, romántico, o new wave – tendencias que influyeron mucho en la cultura de la juventud, en sus valores, su moda, hasta en sus peinados, con muchos artistas convirtiéndose en súper-estrellas, con la ayuda de la televisión, la radio, los discos y los conciertos.

Algunos de los iconos de ayer aún se veneran hoy en día y muchos de ellos aún actúan en vivo.

Con un tema tan amplio, celebramos nuestro 11º aniversario en , con una edición dedicada plenamente a la música.

Disfrutaréis de la música con nuestros artículos sobre Bowie, Lady Gaga y muchos más artistas de la última mitad del siglo.

Os ofrecemos reportajes sobre la historia de la música, las casas de ópera más famosas del mundo y la moda rockera y urbana.

Aquí en la costa, hablamos con las mejores voces de la Costa del Sol, que apoyan muchos eventos en el ámbito local. Os encantarán los artículos sobre los músicos más locos de la historia y el arte único de escribir letras de blues. Finalmente, estudiamos cómo la música nos puede curar y mantenernos saludables.

También podéis contar con las secciones de siempre, que te ayudarán a estar al tanto de todo lo que ocurre en la costa.

Ya estamos preparando la siguiente edición, que será tan interesante e informativa que no la podréis dejar de leer. ¡Viva el Rock!

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Finest Real Estate Costa del Sol

El Paraíso Alto: Elegant villa in one of the most exclusive residential areas on the New Golden Mile. Tastefully decorated with high quality materials. Bright and spacious housing space. Fireplace. Covered and sunny terraces. Solar panels, water purifying system. 3 car garage.

Well-kept garden with nice pool. 4 bedrooms, 3+1 bathrooms, built approx. 329 sqm, plot 1.665 sqm. ID-No.: 1135190. Price € 1.100.000.

Los Monteros Park: Luxurious beachside apartment within walking distance to the beautiful sandy beaches East of Marbella. Built to high quality standards. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, built approx. 270 sqm, terrace approx. 43 sqm. ID-No.: 2001227. Price € 795.000.

Mijas Costa: Charming frontline beach townhouse with fantastic sea views from the terrace. Community with well-kept tropical garden and direct beach access. 3 bedrooms, 2+1 bathrooms, built approx.

207 sqm, terrace approx. 50 sqm. ID-No.: 5000043. Price € 699.000.

Sierra Blanca: Spacious contemporary apartment in the exclusive residential area of Marbella. High quality multimedia equipment. Well-kept garden with fantastic pool area. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, built approx.

212 sqm, terrace approx. 115 sqm. ID-No.: 4000454. Price € 850.000.

Sotogrande Marina: Elegant penthouse within the port of Sotogrande.

Bright housing space. South-facing terrace. In walking distance to the beach and all local amenities. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, built approx.

155 sqm, terrace approx. 32 sqm. ID-No.: 3000038. Price € 620.000.

Telephone 952 900 077 · Marbella@hansa-realty.com · www.hansa-realty.com Office Calahonda Tel. 952904900 · Office Elviria Tel. 952850250 · Office Golden Mile Tel. 952900077 · Office Sotogrande Tel. 956790290 *Gastos adicionales al precio, soportado por el comprador son: 7-8% I.T.P. (transfer tax) sobre el precio de compra, gastos de inscripción en el registro y notaría. Usted tiene a su disposción copias de las correspondientes fichas informativas de estas propiedades en nuestra oficina: Blvd. Princípe Alfonso de Hohenlohe, C.N. 340, Km. 178,2 – La Poveda, Local 8, ES- 29600 Marbella (Málaga), según R.D. 218/2005 de 11 octubre.

THETHEME

music

I

Mad For Music

n the 3rd century BC, the Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote: ‘There was never a genius without a tincture of madness.’ Famous musicians’ eccentricities down the millennia (one of the topics explored in this music-themed issue) have proved Aristotle right – from the scatological humour of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to the predilection of (far less famous) Sixties Mozart lookalike, P.J. Proby, for splitting his trousers on stage.

Michael Jackson is still the contemporary benchmark for measuring eccentric musical genius but he’s not alone. Prince, one of the most gifted musicians on the planet who reportedly wrote over 1,000 songs, showed a streak of insanity when he changed his name to the unpronounceable symbol , after which he had to be referred to as ‘the artist formerly known as Prince’.

There’s no doubt that the maverick genius possessed by The Beach Boys’ frontman and chief songwriter, Brian Wilson, also verged on lunacy. Indeed, shortly after recording songs for the Smile album in a sandpit, and forcing his orchestra to wear firemen’s helmets, he was diagnosed with mental illness.

The singer Björk’s polar bear videos and songs about moths were first viewed as Icelandic kookiness but she was reclassified as being a couple of million penguins short of a colony when she appeared at the Oscars in a dress shaped like a dead swan. The same could be said of Stefani Germanotta but, as she’s making millions with her weird get-ups and telephone hats, maybe this Lady is not quite so Gaga.

One of the weirdest contemporary characters in music has to be Ozzy Osbourne, who once bit the head off a dove during a meeting with CBS Records and, for an encore, did the same to a bat. The latter incident occurred when the former Black Sabbath vocalist was playing a concert in Iowa and someone threw a live bat onstage (not unusual, considering Ozzy’s party piece of pelting his audiences with offal).

Thinking it was a rubber toy, he bit into the creature’s neck. He reportedly tested negative for rabies… but are they sure?

And some other mad musical milestones... u French composer Erik Satie holds the record for the

longest piano piece of any kind: Vexations, a brief 180note composition which, on the composer’s orders, had to be repeated 840 times to create a performance lasting 18 hours 40 minutes. Its first reported public performance in New York in 1963 required a relay team of 10 pianists. The New York Times critic fell asleep at 4am and the audience dwindled to six masochists. At the conclusion, one sadomasochist shouted “Encore!” u Terry Kath, founder of the band Chicago, died in 1978 after shooting himself in a game of Russian Roulette. His famous last words were, “Don’t worry, it’s not loaded.” u The longest rendering of a national anthem was ‘God Save the King,’ performed by a German military band on the platform of Rathenau railway station in Brandenburg on February 9, 1909. King Edward VII was struggling inside the train with the uniform of a German Field Marshall, so the band had to play the anthem 17 consecutive times. u “Guitar groups are on the way out, Mr. Epstein.” The Decca Recording Co., deciding not to sign The Beatles in 1962, considered to be one of the biggest mistakes in music history.

12

u Jim Morrison of The Doors was the first rock

star to be arrested on stage. Having been sprayed with mace by a police officer backstage before a 1967 concert in New Haven, Connecticut, he started to tell the audience about it until the police escorted him off. The riot that ensured at the concert’s untimely end is commemorated by Morrison in the lyrics to Peace Frog, which include the line ‘blood in the streets in the town of New Haven’. In 1969 he was arrested again for indecent exposure on stage during a concert in Miami, although he was later exonerated. u A spoof record called The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan was released

by Stiff Records in 1980. The entire disc contained 40 minutes of silence.

essential marbella magazine

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APARTMENTS READY TO MOVE IN NOW!

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THENEWS

FILM REVIEWS

REPORT marisa cutillas

Brooklyn’s Finest

[Genre] Action [Director] Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) [Actors] Richard Gere, Wesley Snipes, Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle [Tagline] This is war. This is Brooklyn.

Brooklyn’s Finest is a police drama set in the Brooklyn Projects and focusing on three members of the police force who are so involved in the violence and corruption they have to face daily that they come to possess many demons that grow harder to shed as the years go by. Eddie (Richard Gere) is a whisky-guzzling cop who is a week away from retirement. Content to spend his free time with his lover, the young prostitute Chantel, Eddie is offered a chance to redeem himself by spending his last week in the force training new, young hopefuls. Sal (Ethan Hawke) has spent 12 years on the narcotics squad yet he is still struggling to make it to the end of the month. With five children and another one on the way, he puts all his efforts into having ‘the American dream’: that is, a home his family can be proud of. Tango (Don Cheadle) has spent the last three years working as a police informant, rubbing shoulders with drug addicts and dealers to stave off suspicion. When his superiors finally offer him a promotion, he hopes it will convince his estranged wife to come back to him… until he discovers that his bosses expect him to rat on his best friend, Caz (Wesley Snipes) and send him to prison. Eddie, Sal and Tango each have their own path to tread until a chance narcotics case calls them to the same crime scene at the exact same moment.

The Time Traveler’s Wife [Genre] Action/Romance [Director] Robert Schwentke (Flightplan) [Actors] Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams [Tagline] A love beyond time and space.

Clare (Rachel McAdams) has been in love with Henry (Eric Bana) since as far back as she can remember. She feels it is her destiny to be with him, even though he suffers from a rare anomaly that causes him to jump forward and backward in time unintentionally. Despite Henry’s frequent disappearances, and not knowing when he will be by her side again, Clare gives her all to building a life with the only man she has ever loved.

gham

Robin Hood: Nottin

good of all nchett [Tagline] For the Russell Crowe, Cate Bla s] tor [Ac n) Dow wk Ha ack [Director] Ridley Scott (Bl 13th centur y aking the law.

[Genre] Historical drama action taking place in to uphold justice by bre ght sou he an, wom : Robin Hood, with the oes her the bow and ite our with fav ls ’s skil ion nt men, and the love of one ter, using his magnifice to one of history and fict figh life dom new s free a give of prompts e we th enc Cro Russell bolise the ver y ess King Richard whose dea Robin Hood came to sym in is a loyal subject of in’s Rob , Rob sion ieve ver bel te new qui t tt’s England. Thief or hero, ley Sco y widow who doesn’ Norman invaders. In Rid te Blanchett), a contrar ies to (Ca nar rion rce Ma me id arrow to help defeat the al Ma leth of with up m. There he falls in love ’s heart, enlists a gro him to move to Nottingha intent on winning Marion l war that g from the rich’. Robin, alin e to unleash a bloody civi ‘ste nag for ma s g tion gan tiva his and in alleged mo Rob ff’. erri ‘sh t mit ted by the corrup the life of its last king. correct the injustices com land’s glory, sadly lost with Eng of tion tora res the in culminates

e Sands of Time

Prince of Persia: Th pick of the month:

Kingsley, tors] Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben the Goblet of Fire ) [Ac and ter Pot rry (Ha l wel [Director] Mike Ne a Arterton) to [Genre] Action /Adventure future. utiful Princess (Gemm lina [Tagline] Def y the Mo ed Alfr n, joins forces with a bea ntly the Gods, cta relu from l) Gemma Arterto gift haa a , len ger Gyl dag t land of Persia (Jake the Sands of Time. The g asin rele season. of e the abl of A Prince in the ancien cap t dag ger of the big blockbusters and safeguard an ancien nth. of Persia is set to be one mo ce the Prin of race against dark forces k ld. flic wor top the as ble its owner to rule than merits its position ena re and mo e it , tim ors e act ers d rev lea g can dashin shbuckling adventure and Packed with action, swa

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ON A HILL WITH SUPERB VIEWS, RANCHO DOMINGO Stunning property boasting extensive land and living spaces. Located in Rancho Domingo, a residential estate, in Benalmadena, a 25min drive to Marbella, 15min to Malaga airport. 2.40 hr to Madrid on the high speed train. Close to local amenities, with commanding views of the coastline and total privacy. It is comprised of a main house and a guesthouse. A beautiful entrance drive with garages for several cars. The main house features an imposing entrance hall with double height ceilings with exposed brickwork, a spacious living room with fireplace, and library on gallery level. The dining room also features ceilings with exposed brickwork. Lovely orange tree patio and a small chapel. 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, and 1 staff bedroom with bathroom. Also, a small independent house with storage room downstairs and guest bedroom suite upstairs. Various outbuildings, as well as a staff flat. The swimming pool area offers fantastic views of the sea and lovely mature gardens. The guest house, completely independent and on its own plot, has 3 bedroom suites. Terracotta flooring throughout, fireplaces, extensive patios and terraces.

DM2506 :: Bedrooms/ Dormitorios 13 :: Bathrooms/ Baños :: 12 :: Built / Construido 1.782 m² :: Plot 11.152 m² :: Price / Precio 4,000,000€

In Association with:

LEADING PROPERTY AGENTS OF SPAIN

Av. Ricardo Soriano 72, B 1º. 29601 Marbella. Málaga. Spain.

Tel.: +34 952 76 51 38 I enquiries@dmproperties.com I www.dmproperties.com

THENEWS DVD RELEASES

REPORT marisa cutillas

The Wolfman [Genre] Thriller [Director] Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park) [Actors] Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving In the 1930s and ’40s, Universal Pictures released a series of films which created the genre of Horror and unleashed fearful creatures such as Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Mummy onto the screen.

Legendary actors such as Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Claude Rains brought these monsters to life, sharing with the audience the kind of thrills which, until then, could only be found in novels. One of the most fascinating characters at the time was the Wolf Man, played eerily by Lon Chaney Jr. in 1941. The Wolf Man was a noble, solitary spirit forced to give in to his most base instincts by an unfortunate set of circumstances. The new version, directed by Joe Johnston, focuses on the legendary origins of a curse and the torment encountered by the man who falls prey to it. Oscar winner Benicio del Toro plays Lawrence Talbot, a nobleman who returns to the family mansion to find his missing brother. Talbot discovers that a brutal creature with an insatiable thirst for blood has killed many inhabitants of his town. Determined to destroy the creature, he is subjected to an ancient curse that transforms him into a fearful monster when the moon is full. Packed with great acting performances from Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins (who plays Talbot’s father) and the always excellent Hugo Weaving (who plays an inspector), The Wolfman boasts splendid visual effects and the fast pace characteristic of the best horror flicks.

Agora [Genre] Historical epic [Director] Alejandro Amenábar (The Sea Inside) [Actors] Rachel Weisz, Oscar Isaac, Max Minghella The time is 4th century Egypt under the Roman Empire. Violent religious upheaval in the streets of Alexandria spills over into the city’s famous library. Trapped inside its walls, the brilliant astronomer Hypatia and her disciples fight to save the wisdom of the Ancient World. Among them are the two men competing for her heart: the witty, privileged Orestes; and Davus, Hypatia’s young slave, who is torn between his secret love for her and the freedom he knows can be his if he chooses to join the unstoppable surge of the Christians. Agora is a soulful portrayal of life during the fall of the Roman Empire, shedding insight into the difficulty of being a female scholar in a male-dominated society.

Alejandro Amenáb

The Soloist [Genre] Drama/Biopic [Director] Joe Wright (Atonement) [Actors] Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr. Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez is recovering from a recent accident and sorely in need of new ideas for stories. One day he bumps into Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a mentally ill, homeless street musician who possesses great talent, despite the broken down instruments he plays on. Lopez writes an acclaimed series of articles about Ayers, yet his noble intentions only scratch the surface of the harsh reality Ayers, and many other homeless people, have to face on a daily basis. Lopez struggles to find a new way to reconcile his reality with that of the more unfortunate.

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ld never have experience for me, I wou was such an intimate beauty of ich wh the , t’s ide tha Ins t Bu Sea pt.

The after Christians in Ancient Egy u “Four years ago and ans xandria ; Rom Ale ut y abo tur film would be cinating as 4th cen imagined that my nex t and explore worlds as fas free .” run life ty to all iosi it cur g r brin you to let ney – this profession : you can the passion – and the mo to come into ples and people. And find g about this project was thin ful der imagine its streets, tem won the , me film, was to For . this nce h wit scie l, in goa r interested otional point of view. Ou u “I’d never been em and al mystery of ritu spi the l a of science from from trying to unrave contact with the world the emotion that comes all se; ver uni the in s happen apply emotion to what first, a story that s of selection. It was, at the cosmos.” a ver y elaborate proces ugh thro found there were We atia ail.

Hyp of det ry ry ing the sto and we researched eve ity, ativ u “We ended up tell Rel to tem ised a civilisation sys from the geocentric rest. Alexandria symbol spanned 2,0 00 years, and this piqued our inte ay, tod in live we ld the wor many connections with ly religious factions.” y’re following erent factions, specifical the audience feel like the slowly destroyed by diff -speaking, was to make ally aking news, form l, bre goa like y, my t, enc jec ing of the pro tur y. That sense of urg cen 4th the u “From the beginn in ed just shoot pen not s; norms of period film ing something that hap a CNN team document some of the established h wit ak bre to ted wan roach. I was the basis of my app ose music.” angle shots and grandi the larger format, wide

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BEAUTIFUL VILLA IN ZAGALETA

ABOUT NICHOLAS DUNNE A leading independent firm of property consultants headed by Mary Dunne and Brennon Nicholas, with over 18 years of Real Estate experience on the Costa del Sol. Whether you are looking to purchase a property or to sell your current property in Marbella, we are pleased to invite you to visit our new central offices on the Golden Mile, (opposite the Marbella Club Hotel).

SOME OF OUR CURRENT PROPERTIES 1, Beautiful villa in Zagaleta

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A unique south facing property located in one of the most exclusive residential areas in Europe with first class private facilities set within 900 hectares of rural estate. The property has a mature garden with stunning sea views.

Plot: 11,000m2 Built: 1,100m2 Bedrooms: 5 Price: €6,750,000. Ref: NDV261

Exceptional south-west facing apartment in the luxurious complex of Aloha Park. The property boasts of a private garden and a good size private pool. The property is immaculate and offers great features.

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Tel. (+34) 952 866 072 email. info@nicholasdunne.com www.nicholasdunne.com Centro Expo Loc.11-12 • Bulevar Alfonso Hohenlohe • Marbella 29602 • Málaga

APARTMENT IN ALOHA PARK

VILLA IN SIERRA BLANCA

THENEWS

BOOK REVIEWS

REPORT BELINDA BECKETT

100 Careers in the Music Business, by Tanja L. Crouch You don’t need a great voice to enjoy a lucrative career in the music industry. Abundant opportunities exist in lesser-known but equally rewarding jobs (sound technicians, production managers, copywriters, publicists). For each, the book lists the skills needed, describes a typical workday and presents case studies. There are also useful contact listings for everything from music unions to training courses.

The Music Industry: Music in the Cloud, by Patrik Wikstrom Hailed as the first scholarly book to make real sense of the music industry since the mp3 met the Internet. By looking at the contemporary landscape from multiple perspectives, including that of the fans, Wikstrom clearly shows the consequences that new digital media has had for music, musicians and the recording industry, and its future prospects in the world of global entertainment.

1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, by Tom Moon A compilation of 1,000 must-hear recordings by music journalist and critic Tom Moon. His recommendations draw from the diverse worlds of classical, jazz, rock, pop, blues, country, folk, musicals, hip-hop, opera and more. Arranged alphabetically by artist to break down genre bias, each entry comes with expert listening notes and fascinating anecdotes, identifying key tracks, additional works and where to go next. There are also playlists for different moods and occasions.

Opera: A Beginner’s Guide, by Alexandra Wilson

Opera is often marginalised as being old people’s music but Wilson, Senior Lecturer in Musicology at Oxford Brookes University, is determined to change that mind set. As passionate about the genre as she is knowledgeable (she has presented numerous broadcasts for BBC radio) she provides a lucid introduction to opera over the last four centuries and explains the reasons for its enduring appeal.

The International Who’s Who in Popular Music 2010, by Europa Publications The essential guide for modern music lovers with over 7,000 biographies of the most talented and influential artists in popular music. Each entry includes career details, recordings, compositions, honours and contact information. There’s also a directory of music festivals, awards and organisations within the industry and an index of music group members, all in one accessible volume.

bourne his I Am Ozzy, by Ozzy Os of F***ing Darkness’ and ography of the ‘Prince

autobi r 100 million records with The frank and moving . Osbourne has sold ove life tar k-s -roc s-to slept in one room. rag extraordinary born so poor, his family a solo artist, yet he was as – from biting the head and e h her bat all Sab are ck gs, Bla the road, and on dru on s day his of ries salvation through the love sto ing The legendary tragic plane crash to find a in nd frie t bes his off a live bat and losing of his wife and family.

rbert a’s the Fame, by Emily He Lady Gaga: Behind and elaborate live shows to her outspoken politics, Lady Gagself fits manot ta transformed her From her outrageous out find out how Stefani Ger w No e. anc form colour photos per life is one grand ide phenomenon. With k per former into worldw Yor tualisation w -ac Ne self ing of ggl ry stru sto from h an inspiring dancing days, this is bot going back to her go-go . ture celebrity-obsessed cul and an insight into today’s

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SWISS MADE HOMES Privileged Living

…need we say more FOR SALE Only a few minutes by car from MARBELLA PUERTO BANÚS and you reach the Urb. SIERRA BLANCA COUNTRY CLUB. Here is where the three courtyard villas with a total of 962 m2 living area are located. They are suitable for big families or friends who wish to be close together, but wish to live separately. For people who love to have a lot of space, it is ideal to use the three villas as one big mansion. The big bright rooms offer travertine marble floors, floor heating and A/C. The beautiful view over the southern part of the water reservoir by Istán, Puerto Banús, the coast, the Sea and Gibraltar up to Africa is unlimited. Ample parking spaces, a beautiful mature garden, the basement prepared for an inside swimming pool and the current fantastic price for all three villas completes the diversity of possibilities.

SE VENDE Sólo unos minutos desde MARBELLA PUERTO BANÚS y se encontrará en la Urb. SIERRA BLANCA COUNTRY CLUB, donde están situadas estas tres villas adosadas con un total de 962 m2 de superficie habitable. Ideales para grandes familias o para amigos que deseen estar juntos pero viviendo con independencia. Si lo que desea es disfrutar de una gran cantidad de espacio, puede hacer uso de las tres villas como gran mansión. Las luminosas habitaciones están equipadas con suelos de travertino, calefacción con suelo radiante y aire acondicionado. Las impresionantes vistas se extienden desde el sur del embalse de Istán, Puerto Banús, la costa, el mar y Gibraltar hasta África. Un amplio espacio para aparcamientos, un jardín maravilloso con vegetación crecida, un sótano apto para una piscina interior y un precio actual inmejorable para las tres villas completan las ventajas.

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SWISS MADE HOMES Tel.: (+34) 952 765 071 – Mobile: (+34) 699 234 266 & 646 674 719 www.SwissMadeHomes.com – E-Mail: sales@SwissMadeHomes.com Mansions

Plots

Townhouses

THENEWS

MUSIC REVIEWS

To mark his last music review for , George Prior chooses his top four albums EVER!

Aretha Franklin – Greatest Hits As the undisputed reigning Queen of Soul, it’s no surprise that Aretha has produced more than one greatest hits package. This, however, is the finest as it showcases her abilities across rock, gospel, soul, blues and pop. One of the most influential and awarded singers in history, Rolling Stone magazine (America’s most important music publication) ranked her Number One in a poll to find The Greatest Voice Of All Time; and, such is her greatness, she was the only singer to be featured at Obama’s inauguration. In short, she is a force of nature. The album comprises highlights from her enormous back catalogue of musical gems, including I Knew You Were Waiting For Me (duet with George Michael), Respect, I Say A Little Prayer, Think, Chain of Fools, Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves, Jumpin’ Jack Flash and Who’s Zoomin’ Who. Whether it’s getting you to shake your stuff on the dance floor, inspiring you to take an interest in civil rights, or make you weep with sadness, Aretha’s voice has the ability to pack an emotional punch every time. That’s why she deserves our ultimate R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Fleetwood Mac – Rumours What’s not to love about Rumours, the sixth highest-selling album in history? The two couples who made up the group had a knack of producing polished, slick tracks from their continual personal battles. The splitting-up of Christine and John and Lindsey and Stevie during the recording of the album adds poignancy to tracks like Dreams, Go Your Own Way, The Chain and Don’t Stop. The lyrics, the compositions and the shiny harmonies have hit a chord with millions. Today, R & B producers often delve into songs off this album for samples and inspiration. The overriding themes of heartbreak and hope, on innovative and utterly original tracks which have since become standards, are timeless.

Michael Jackson – Thriller Elvis had the kind of influence in the 1950s that Michael was to have in the 1980s, and the album Thriller is the reason why. Although the world had fallen in love with Jackson years earlier, it was this album that launched him as a legend. It spent 37 weeks at Number One in America and garnered seven Top Ten singles and eight Grammy awards. The title track was epic in every sense of the word. Its horror-movie drama was a turning point for popular music; never before had there been such a blatant and exciting blend of music and theatre. Beat It has the throbbing, electrifying riff played by Eddie Van Halen and a beat which has been imitated the world over; it was disco with an industrial, almost military, edge. Billie Jean allowed Jackson the contemporary rock-funk grit; similarly, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ was a big one-fingered salute to his critics. Despite the controversy and tabloid furore that dogged Jackson, he has left us some of music’s most breathtaking tracks, and nowhere more so than on Thriller.

n

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Madonna – The Imm

e at more than 45 t-selling albums of all tim artist and one of the bes Queen of Pop solo a the ly by r nite eve defi um st alb mo tion of Soul, Madonna is een The best-selling compila Qu the is early tracks in nkl from s, Fra . Whereas, Ms her remarkable succes million copies worldwide Except for st hits collection charts lf. ate rse gre s You s Thi res rs.

Exp yea and 30 ost Like A Prayer, Vogue as h – and has been for alm suc s na over ssic don cla Ma r n ula tha Star to eternally pop rse of pop music more like Holiday and Lucky the time, who has shaped the cou of st ds arti tren solo the a s of k ture thin cap d to lesson as it Michael Jackson, it is har tion is like a pop history but neither was Elvis or The Immaculate Collec atest singer of all time gre the be the last three decades. not y ma She e. gam records that are the the of pop ad ible p ahe ability to make incred itive as well as being one ste intu her is y awa en at can’t be tak Paul McCar tney. But wh also last forever. and s era ir the of e essenc

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Pano-09-09

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Andalusian country mansion on 3 hectares of land above Marbella Nestled within a forest of cork oaks in La Mairena, enjoying breathtaking views. Inspired by classical Andalusian architecture, the property displays the flavours of a country palace. The interiors are composed of elements drawn from various sources: Arab and French-style drawing rooms; Mozarab coffered ceilings; impressive Neo-gothic dining room; and library in truest English style. With magnificent gardens and 100-year-old trees, fountains, picturesque walks surrounded by lush greenery, it has been awarded the Prize for the Best Private Garden on the Costa del Sol. Plot 32,000m2, Enclosed: 1,330m2, Terraces: 319m². 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms.

Price on application. Ref 6439

Covering Marbella’s Golden Mile with offices opposite the Marbella Club Hotel and at Puente Romano Hotel.

Tel. +34 952 863 750 Fax. +34 952 822 111 Rentals Direct: +34 952 90 10 15 info@panorama.es www. panorama.es LEADING PROPERTY AGENTS OF SPAIN

the theme

MUSIC

Changes Bowie

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The History of Music

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Rupert Bluff on Mad Musicians

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Icons of Music

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Lady Gaga

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Voices of the Coast

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Humour – Blues Lyrics

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THEPEOPLE

DAVID BOWIE

I

ar Starman, may your st e now in sh continue to and forever more…

saw him in 1983 during his Serious Moonlight Tour and he was already a veteran then! We were inside Murrayfield, Scotland’s National Rugby stadium, standing on the same hallowed turf that, within a year, would see Scotland overcome both England and France on the way to their first Grand Slam since 1925! It was raining that day – June 28th – even though it was (supposedly) mid-summer and he took to the stage with a fanfare, short blonde locks shining in the myriad of lights, regaling the audience who were getting rather soaked, shouting, “Hello Scotland! I hope you don’t mind the rain.

We’re going to play our socks off for you,” as the 50,000 crowd erupted.

Born David Robert Jones, on January 8th 1947, it was always clear from a very young age that he was going to be a prodigious talent, insisting at only 8 that he “will become the greatest rock star in England”. His first TV appearance was in 1965 aged 18 performing with the group The Manish Boys, which went ahead despite concerns over the length of his hair! By the following year, after forming The Lower Third, he adopted the surname Bowie on hearing that another Davy Jones had been incorporated as a member of the US made-for-TV group, The Monkeys.

His first album, David Bowie, was released in the summer of 1967, with Bowie already wearing make up, a predilection inspired by Pink Floyd’s Syd Barret, which he has maintained off and on over the years. Never shy of the limelight, he also embarked on his first stage and film appearances and, surprisingly, he has been responsible for many celebrated roles, such as in The Man Who Fell To Earth and The Elephant Man, that he has somehow managed to conjure concurrently with his momentous musical career.

Following the success of Space Oddity in 1969, the 70s brought a new Bowie, with the creation of stage persona Ziggy Stardust and a new visual image being unveiled with each of his album releases, his reputation as an innovating musical, theatrical and video force growing with every incarnation; we even saw him, androgynous in dresses and long hair. This was the era that inspired millions and some of his most brilliant tracks are still played live on his modern-day tours – The Man Who Sold The World, Ziggy Stardust, All The Young Dudes, gifted to Mott The Hoople, Life On Mars and Heroes, defining his talents as a lyrical Man of Words.

But this was only the beginning as by the mid 70s he was on a whole new trip with his Eno collaborations featuring intense synthesizers as typified on the albums Low and Heroes. However, by 1980 he was back on solid

CHANGES Report iain Blackwell

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ground, returning to the more accessible rock structure of his early 70s period with Scary Monsters And Super Creeps, which brought his second UK No. 1, Ashes To Ashes (Space Oddity having made it there on a 1975 re-release), both tracks featuring the memorable song character. `Major Tom’. Under Pressure, performed with Queen and co-sung with Freddie Mercury also reached No. 1 in 1982.

Another new epoch ensued in a move towards a more pop-oriented sound with Let’s Dance, his first single to simultaneously top both the UK and US charts, and China Girl, whose video famously shows a naked Bowie cavorting in the surf with his little China girl. Of course, it was banned by the BBC! Another lively video transpired for Dancing In The Streets, a duet with Mick Jagger, which entered the UK chart at No. 1 in September 1985, holding top spot for a month, with all income going to the Band Aid Trust.

The remainder of the 80s and much of the 90s saw Bowie continue to undergo a number of transformations, such as with Tin Machine, meanwhile continuing to dabble in theatre and film: Absolute Beginners, Labyrinth, When The Wind Blows, The Last Temptation Of Christ, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in January 1996 and received the Outstanding Contribution to British Music honour at the 15th annual Brit Awards the following month.

Modern day Bowie, far from being diminished, is simply superb. Anyone who has heard his recorded gig at the BBC Radio Theatre from June 27th 2000 or The Reality Tour extended concert live in Dublin on 22nd and 23rd November 2003, with band members Sterling Campbell, Earl Slick and Gail Ann Dorsey, released on CD and DVD, will readily agree that, like a good wine, he has aged just wonderfully. The music is awe-inspiring, the singing sublime and the guy looks pretty amazing – check out the shot of him on the front cover.

Incredibly enduring, soloist extraordinaire, group supremo, how many artists have played, as he has, with the best: Lou Reed, Mick Ronson, Jeff Beck, Marc Bolan, Iggy Pop, Bing Crosby, Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, Carlos Alamar, John Lennon, Tina Turner, Freddie Mercury, Mick Jagger, Peter Frampton, Lenny Kravitz, Morrissey, Robert Smith, Bono, Rick Wakeman, Woody Woodmansey, etc?

No treatise on modern music could ever be complete without his inclusion and we take our hats off to the Thin White Duke for his immense influence on the genre over more than five decades. Starman, may your star continue to shine now and forever more. n

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THETHEME

MUSIC

LET THERE BE MUSIC It’s Brahms and birdsong, R&B and Rock & Roll, a church choir at Christmas and humming in the shower. Music – Shakespeare’s ‘food of love’, Tolstoy’s ‘shorthand of emotion’, Delius’s ‘outburst of the soul’ – is universal yet indefinable; what’s harmony to some is discord to others. But at its best, it has emotional resonance that can leave the hardest heart shaken and stirred. Belinda Beckett looks at the evolution of music.

D

arwin believed that music was an innate quality in all living things and an important part of sexual selection. Elgar said, “Music is all around us; you simply take as much as you require.” Some musicologists argue that music was inspired by the sounds produced by early man at work, chipping at stone and pounding grain, although the oldest known musical instruments weren’t drums, but flutes. The earliest, discovered in Slovenia, is believed to have been made by Neanderthals from a cave bear bone circa 45,000-50,000 years ago. Another found in Germany, made from a swan’s wing bone, is around 36,000 years old. The oldest known sheet music, ‘notated’ on clay tablets in cuneiform, dates back to 2,000 BC Iraq and clearly indicates the names of strings on a lyre.

Music flourished in Ancient Greece. The epics of Homer were originally sung with instrumental accompaniment and fragments of music exist in manuscript form, written for Greek tragedies, that show the technique of playing more than one note at the same time, at different pitches. Conversely, Roman music was mostly monophonic (single melodies with no harmony), possibly due to its suppression when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. But the real story begins in Medieval times when the foundations of modern musical notation and polyphony (two or more independent melodies woven together) were laid.

Devotion & Debauchery If the Big Six eras of musical evolution can be compared with those of architecture, then the Middle Ages would be symbolized by the dark and Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the Renaissance by the Sistene

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Chapel, Baroque by Louis XIV’s ornate palace at Versailles, Classical by the Parthenon and Romantic by Brighton’s Royal Pavilion with its fanciful minarets and pagodas; 20th century music would be too diverse to classify.

In the Middle Ages, music was seen as a gift from God while making it was a way of praising the heavens, as paintings from the period suggest.

More complex stringed instruments made an appearance, such as the psaltery and early versions of the fiddle. But the cost of parchment and the skill and time required to copy music down meant that only wealthy institutions like the Church were able to create manuscripts which have survived the test of time. Those pre-dating 800AD were generally plainsong liturgical music such as Gregorian chant, named after Pope Gregory I, who may himself have been a composer. Several schools of polyphony flourished in the early stages of the first millennium AD. The pilgrim trail to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia brought together musicians from many traditions whose compositions survive in the Codex Calixtinus. Secular song was more of an underground movement written for the lower classes by troubadours, itinerant poet-minstrels of Europe during The Crusades. Their folk songs told stories, many of them quite profane, dealing with drunkenness, debauchery and lechery (vestiges of the genre survive today in songs such as The Animals’ House of the Rising Sun). At the other extreme, Geisslerlieder were the songs of wandering bands of flagellants who sought to appease the wrath of God with penitential music, accompanied by mortification of the flesh. These songs survive due to the devotion of a single priest who wrote them down. Many document the spread of the Black Death, one of the most devastating pandemics in European history.

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Rock branched out into a variety of subgenres ranging from heavy metal to punk rock

Opera was established as a new genre, combining music with poetry, theatre and the visual arts

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Castrati & Concertos

The Golden Age

During the Renaissance, the growing emphasis on individualism began a change of status for composers. The technology of printing permitted a much wider distribution of their works and enabled a larger public to recognise the authors. Instruments became more sophisticated (the clavichord and virginal keyboards were two inventions of the period), the tradition of famous instrument makers began, such as Neuschel for his trumpets, while the lute became the standard instrument for family music making. Composers were employed by the Church or aristocratic arts patrons, such as the Medicis. Castrati singers first appeared at this time – indeed Pope Sixtus V re-organised the choir of St Peter’s in Rome specifically to include them.

While masses and motets (choral compositions) were the main forms of spiritual music, secular song had evolved into more cultivated madrigals (written for two to eight voices, accompanied by a lute or small orchestra).

Instrumental works were largely short pieces or dancing music. Imitation – where one musical line shares or imitates the same musical theme of the preceeding line – became an important technique.

By the mid-16th century, several highly diverse stylistic trends became evident: a direction towards simplicity in sacred music, exemplified in the music of Italian composer Palestrina; and the more grandiose sounds of the Venetian school, which gave Europe some of the most sonorous music yet composed, with multiple choirs of singers, brass and strings in different spatial locations, and paved the way for the Baroque era (1600-1760).

Like its architecture, Baroque music is rich and textured, witness the oratorio (a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists) which achieved its peak in the work of Handel and Bach. Bach, a virtuoso organist as well as a composer, used every instrument and ensemble of the age in his works, ushering in another first – the orchestra. Double-reeded instruments like the oboe and bassoon came into play and Baroque also expanded the size, range and complexity of instrumental performance with the development of the concerto (most usually, a composition in three movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra).

Opera was established as a new genre, combining music with poetry, theatre and the visual arts. The first major opera, Monteverdi’s Orfeo, was first performed in the Ducal Palace of Mantua in 1607. Baroque music also presaged great innovations in dance and choreography such as the gavotte and minuet, popularised at the French court under Louis XIV.

The Classical era (1750-1820), an understated reaction to ostentatious Baroque, was a Golden Age for music and Mozart its undoubted ‘star’.

His phenomenal and varied output in all genres defines our perception of the period. Classical musicians established many of today’s norms of composition, presentation and style of which the sonata (a work for a keyboard alone or with one other instrument) was the most important, allowing composers to give solely instrumental pieces a dramatic character.

All of the main instrumental forms of this era, the quartet, symphony and concerto, were based on the sonata’s dramatic structure. Chamber music grew to include ensembles with as many as 8-10 performers for serenades (lighter works for large ensembles with multiple movements). The clarinet family of single reeds was widely used by Mozart in orchestral, chamber and concerto settings and the piano became the predominant keyboard instrument.

Although the aristocracy still patronised music, the development of public concerts allowed composers to survive without being the puppets of their masters. No longer limited by having to perform for a chosen few in private salons, orchestras grew in size to fill the larger public spaces. Works were not always ‘highbrow’ either. Opera buffa, a form of comic opera such as Mozart’s Così fan tutte, could be appreciated by ordinary folk and still is today, thanks to the success of The Three Tenors and popular groups like Il Divo.

The subsequent Romantic era (1800-1900) saw an outpouring of more expressive, emotional music inspired by literary and artistic sources (such as Liszt’s Dante Symphony). The period also gave us Schumann, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Berlioz, Johann Strauss II, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Verdi and Wagner. Although Beethoven, who bridged the two eras, is regarded as having lit the flame of Romanticism, he fought (not always successfully) to maintain a balance between emotional intensity and classical form.

Between 1890 and 1910, a third wave of composers including Dvorák, Mahler, Richard Strauss, Puccini and Sibelius built on the work of their predecessors to create even more complex musical arrangements.

Preoccupation with the exotic required a more colourful palette of sound and orchestras continued to grow to include never-before-featured instruments such as piccolos, cornets, trombones, tubas, drums and Glockenspiels. The stories in opera were also set in exotic locations, such as Verdi’s Aida in Ancient Egypt. The Romantic era was also the time of the virtuoso, when audiences craved exceptional talents. Liszt played the piano with such vigour and passion that women fainted!

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FOR SALE

or long/short rental available A once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the finest frontline beach duplex penthouses A property of exquisite standard, is a rare find, designed and engineered to impress. Los Monteros Playa is situated on the fabulous sandy beach of Marbella´s most prestigious location, with private access to one of the best beaches on the Costa del Sol. This stunning 4 bedroom 5 bathroom duplex Penthouse nestled amongst a sub-tropical paradise of lush landscaping gardens also touched by a slight oriental influence felt through the elegant ponds and teak pagodas scattered across the grounds. It boasts ample terraces overlooking spectacular panoramic views of the, Mediterranean Sea, Gibraltar, & the coastline of Africa. An elevator from the secure underground garage directly into the private apartment further ensuring your safety and security within this prestigious 24 hr security guarded development. Los Monteros Playa occupies, without doubt, one of the best plots in Marbella & has been designed to assure that the quality of accommodation lives up to its exclusive & secure location.

Build Size: 521sqm (5.607ft) incl Terraces: 197sqm (2.120ft)

Sale Price: P.O.A Long term rental @ 5.500 € pcm Short term rental @ 5.000 € per week

Direct Tel: English speaking: (+34) 696 800 826, Spanish speaking: (+34) 630 342 773

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The Elvis Presley phenomenon brought all the threads together

Talkin’ About A Revolution The Industrial Revolution had a profound effect not only on the design and quality of musical instruments but on audiences, as the creation of jobs provided the middle classes with a disposable income for concert-going.

Elgar was one composer who believed there should be “no segregation of musical tastes” and that the “purpose was to write music that was to be heard”.

By the turn of the century, composers such as Mahler and Sibelius were pushing the boundaries of post-Romantic symphonic writing while the Impressionist movement, characterised by its use of dissonance, was spearheaded in France by Debussy and Ravel. Stravinsky and Schoenberg were influential composers in art music, Gershwin combined classical and jazz idioms and Jerome Kern popularised the Broadway musical, generating a new industry of its own. But the 20th century really belongs to popular music – from ragtime’s syncopated rhythms via jazz, blues and country music to R&B, soul, rock ‘n’ roll and beyond – an explosion of styles that transformed the music scene forever.

Instrumental in sparking this revolution were the record player and radio. They brought music to a mass audience who, in turn, made music publishing a powerful industry; (witness Motown, not only the first African American-owned record company but a new music genre in its own right).

At first, these new-fangled devices were seen as a threat. One newspaper advertisement taken out by the American Federation of Musicians in 1929 featured an image of a can labeled: ‘Canned Music / Big Noise Brand / Guaranteed to Produce No Intellectual or Emotional Reaction Whatever’.

Other factors came into play: the rise of America as a new cultural power; capitalism, which targeted working class consumers; and the new youth culture. Young people were already among the main consumers of the dance music crazes of the 1920s. The Jazz Age was bubbling under in America although, like blues, it was associated with African-Americans singing in seedy speakeasies and wasn’t considered ‘friendly’ for white audiences.

Changing the genre’s name to ‘swing’ made it more palatable and Big Band sounds boomed not only Stateside but in Europe, imported by American GIs during the Second World War. Many of the biggest names in jazz and swing – Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller – remain relevant in mainstream music today.

This new consumer market also helped establish the vogue for romantic

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singers after World War II (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin) and positively erupted in 1955 when the Elvis Presley phenomenon brought all the threads together. Presley and, across the Atlantic, The Beatles, are considered to be the two key acts instrumental in the rise of pop culture. They helped to create a global industry, paving the way for the multi-million selling artists of today and their shift towards celebrity status by concentrating as much on their image as their music.

If rock and roll was a melting pot of blues, R&B and boogie woogie (eptiomised by acts like Bill Haley and Buddy Holly), early pop was its softer face (think Hermans Hermits and the Beach Boys). But, with its focus on mainstream music and hit singles, a less commercial sound evolved along with the emerging drug culture: rock. By the early 1960s, fans were clearly defined: Mods wore turtle necks and dug The Beatles; Rockers wore biker jackets and dug the Stones. Serious rock bands like Cream and Led Zeppelin shuddered at the very word ‘pop’. Their music was all about pushing boundaries with a sound that revolved around the electric guitar and a strong back beat laid down by the new digital synthesizers.

Just as rock branched out into a variety of subgenres ranging from heavy metal (Iron Maiden) to punk rock (The Sex Pistols), modern music in all its diversity has absorbed influences from most other genres of popular music.

Soul (Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin) was fundamentally rhythm and blues, which grew out of the African-American gospel and blues traditions; funk was another offshoot; reggae was a modern take on Jamaican sounds with ska, rap and hip hop among its cousins; salsa derived from Latin America; and world music combines elements of all these genres.

In the new millennium, digital music has become the new radio for the Internet generation. Social networking sites like YouTube and MySpace are giving listeners increased ease of access to music while greatly facilitating distribution for the musicians themselves. But the trend for trading music on file sharing sites and downloading them to MP3s and iPods is having a disastrous impact on the industry.

As musician Dave Kusek and music industry executive Gerd Leonhard see it in their book, The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution, major changes are afoot. “We look ahead to a future where music flows like water, ubiquitously available as part of our daily lives, paid for by a flat fee much like a utility.”

It seems that interesting times are ahead. n

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THETHEME

MUSIC

Classical Geniuses Mad as Hatters

Did you know…?

Oh what a joy to be able to comment on one of my favourite subjects of all time: classical music and the geniuses who have given rise to it. When I’m in Hollywood at one of those glitterati-studded events, it seems cool to casually comment that I’ve been listening to Kings of Leon or The Fratellis.

In actual fact, when I rev up the motor of my Bentley and glide silently onto Route 101, my MP3 players is usually emitting the thunderous notes of Wagner, Beethoven or Bach. Being a celebrity junkie, I’ve collected a series of anecdotes about my favourite composers and in this, my first column for , in an issue dedicated to music, it seems appropiate to share some of these with you, dear reader.

u Beethoven, famed for his 5th and 9th

u Schumann heard ‘choirs of angels and

symphonies as much as for his ability to compose masterpieces despite his deafness, was involved in a bitter custody battle for Karl, his dead brother’s child. Beethoven considered that the child’s mother was unfit because she had borne an ‘illegitimate’ child before marrying his brother. He resorted to all sorts of sleazy tactics, even lying to the court by stating that he came from nobility, in order for his case to be tried in a special court with judges whose favour he curried. Beethoven won custody, only to have it revoked when his lies were discovered. He appealed and regained custody of Karl, after doing his best to blacken the mother’s name before the court and Austrian society. Beethoven was so overbearing, Karl attempted suicide in 1826 by trying to shoot himself in the head. u Mozart, known to take our soul to celestial heights with his harmonious music, had a penchant for scatological humour, which is present in his correspondence to family members. Some of his funnier compositions include the canon, Kiss my arse! u Chopin, who embarked upon a long, tumultuous affair with author and feminist George Sand, did not recall Spain lovingly.

In 1838, he visited the island of Mallorca with Sand and her two children, only to be rejected by the islanders, socially upon the discovery that they were ‘living in sin’. It was a cold, miserable winter and Chopin and Sand eventually found lodgings in an inhospitable monastery in Valldemosa. Interestingly, this winter period in Mallorca is considered to be his most productive.

cries of demons’ in his head, prompting him to attempt to kill himself by jumping into the river Rhine. He was rescued and committed to a mental institution, where he died. u Rossini was a renowned foodie and chef and once, when he received praise from a friend for his opera, The Barber of Seville, he answered, “Oh enough, enough, try this chef d’ouevre I’ve just cooked.” u It is rumoured that Purcell, a notorious drunk who liked to party with the lads, came home so late one winter’s night that his wife locked him out. Purcell developed pneumonia and died. u Bruckner died a virgin. u Percy Grainger was a fan of sadomasochism, so much so that he spent most of his earnings opening the Percy Grainger Museum, which displays photographs of him in various sexual situations. Maurice Ravel, meanwhile, dressed up like a ballerina, performing pirouettes clumsily to entertain friends at a party. u Hungarian composer Franz Liszt had so many requests for locks of his hair, he resorted to snipping his dog’s fur and sending it to his fans. u Jean-Baptiste Lully, the first known conductor in history, was also the first to use a baton. His was so long and heavy that one day, at a concert, he stuck the baton into his foot, developed gangrene and died. u The Emperor Joseph II, upon hearing Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro, only had one thing to say: “Too many notes.” u Italian Baroque composer Alessandro

Stradella had such an interesting life, he is the subject of a beautiful opera by Friedrich von Flotow. In 1677 he was hired to tutor a nobleman’s wife. The two had an affair, leading the nobleman to hire a pack of hitmen to end his life. Stradella escaped to Genoa and had yet another scandalous affair. A hired assassin finally caught up with him there, brutally stabbing him to death. u 20th-century Spanish composer Enrique Granados was invited to the White House to play for President Woodrow Wilson. On the way home, Granados and his wife missed the boat and had to take another one to England, where they boarded a ferry that would take them to France. The ferry was victim to a German U-boat torpedo and Granados, who didn’t know how to swim, perished after jumping out of his lifeboat in a hopeless attempt to save his wife, Amparo, who also died. u Anyone who’s seen the entertaining but notoriously fictional Amadeus saw how composer Antonio Salieri took the rap for everything from Mozart’s financial problems right through to his death. In fact, Salieri was a highly successful, talented composer in his own right, and was so appreciated by Mozart, the latter left Salieri with the custody of his two children upon his death.

“Opera is when a tenor and soprano want to make love, but are prevented from doing so by a baritone” George Bernard Shaw

Report Rupert Bluff

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THETHEME

MUSIC

Famed for their psychedelic and progressive rock sounds, philosophical lyrics and pioneering live shows with elaborate lighting and stage sets, their legacy includes 200 million album sales and the most commercially successful concept album of all time: The Dark Side of the Moon sold 45 million copies and charted for 741 weeks (1973-1988), longer than any album in history. Formed in 1965 by British architectural students Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright, and art student Syd Barrett, they had several names before settling on a fusion of two of Barrett’s favourite blues singers, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. They were a popular fixture on London’s underground music scene, releasing chart singles Arnold Layne and See Emily Play and a successful debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, before guitarist/singer David Gilmour replaced a drug-addicted Barrett in the line-up. They went on to win success in America with Dark Side, Ummagumma and other concept albums, as well as rock opera The Wall. After Waters quit to go solo in 1985, they released two further albums before disbanding in 1994, briefly reuniting in 2005 for a one-off performance at Live 8.

Led Zeppelin

Pink Floyd

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Thirty years after disbanding, Led Zeppelin continues to be esteemed and much-emulated for their heavy metal guitar-driven sound. Formed in 1968 by ex-Yardbirds guitarist Jimmy Page and his co-musicians from The New Yardbirds, Zeppelin was about the thundering rhythm section of John Bonham and John Paul Jones, the screaming vocals of Robert Plant and the guitar work of Page on his classic Les Paul, which came brilliantly together in tracks like Whole Lotta Love. The band sold over 200 million albums, all their studio albums made America’s Top 10 (six at No. one) and they are one of only three acts in music history to achieve five or more Diamond albums (over 10 million sales), along with The Beatles and Garth Brooks. Stairway To Heaven was the most requested song on FM radio stations in the US in the 70s, though it was never released as a single, the band preferring to develop the concept of album-oriented rock. Their tours broke all records up to then, with 76,229 people attending their 1977 Pontiac Silverdome concert in Michegan, the largest audience for a single act show. They were also infamous for their wild partying and trashing of hotel rooms. In 1980, after Bonham’s death from alcohol poisoning, Zeppelin disbanded and Plant launched a solo career. The surviving members and Bonham’s son, Jason, reunited in 2007 for a tribute concert at The O2 Arena in London.

Jimi Hendrix The musician’s musician, Hendrix is considered by industry professionals to be the greatest electric guitarist in rock history and way ahead of his time. The American singer/songwriter won many prestigious awards, in his lifetime and posthumously (including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame), and was the first artist inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame. Hendrix did stints as a sideman for Little Richard and The Isley Brothers and earned immortality for classics like Purple Haze, Voodoo Child and his unforgettable performances at Woodstock and 1967’s Monterey Pop Festival. His music blurred the boundaries between rock, soul and blues while the unique way he handled his Fender Stratocaster sparked a revolution in guitar effects, turning previously undesirable feedback and wah-wah into an art form. His psychedelic rock band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, paved the way for Seventies hard rock and heavy metal. His untimely death in 1970 has grouped him with Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison as one of the 27 Club, iconic 1960s rock stars who suffered drug-related deaths at 27 within months of each other, leaving legacies that have eclipsed the popularity and influence they experienced during their lifetimes.

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O H W

O ROCK S T S I T R

A

Which musicians rocked our world over the last half century or so? One way to decide is to refer to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, established in 1986 in Cleveland, Ohio and dedicated to recording the history of some of the best-known musicians, producers and others who have majorly influenced the music industry.

Performers become eligible for nomination 25 years after the release of their first record. All our selected artists have been inducted except Coldplay and Radiohead who don’t yet qualify – but it’s a safe bet they will, as Belinda Beckett reports.

The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones No two groups were more influential in 20th century music than The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, although they were polar opposites: four booted-and-suited, clean-cut working class lads from Liverpool who sang pop about love, versus five middle-class Londoners who wore jeans and biker jackets, took drugs and played rock with sexual overtones. In album sales the Fab Four win hands down (1 billion v 200 million). Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band sold 32 million copies globally, compared with The Stones’ top offering, Hot Rocks (12 million); they win again with a record 17 chart-topping singles (She Loves You, Hey Jude), compared to eight for The Stones (Satisfaction, Jumpin’ Jack Flash), while the McCartney-penned Yesterday is one the most played songs on radio. Even Rolling Stone magazine voted its namesake band fourth to the Beatles first in its 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list. But it’s two up for The Stones in terms of live concerts and longevity. While The Beatles disbanded in 1970 to embark on solo careers, The Stones are still rolling. A Bigger Bang was the highestgrossing tour of 2007, generating over $558 million. The Beatles won the first ever BRIT award for best band, seven Grammys and an MBE apiece. The Rolling Stones have one Lifetime Achievement Grammy. But as rock legends go, you can’t top Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

It’s doubtful Paul McCartney will ever be caught pleasuring his new girlfriend with a Mars Bar or snorting his Dad’s ashes!

Elvis Presley In 1956, a 21-year-old Mississippi boy cut his first hit single, Heartbreak Hotel, and a legend was born.

The catalyst for the rock and roll revolution, The King defined the new genre and, with his music’s African-American origins, ushered in a new acceptance of black culture. Little Richard said of Presley, “They wouldn’t let black music through. He opened the door.” Presley holds records for the most Top Forty hits (107), Top Ten hits (38), consecutive Number Ones (10) and most weeks at No. One (80).

With his energy, charismatic ‘teddy boy next door’ image and versatile repertoire, I Love Elvis became an international slogan. Devoting the Sixties to movies and soundtrack albums (mostly derided), he made a US TV comeback that led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of profitable tours.

In 1973, he staged the first concert broadcast globally via satellite for 1.5 billion viewers. Prescription drug abuse and a runaway weight problem compromised his health and he died in 1977, aged 42, a grotesque caricature of his former self. He’s still making money beyond the grave – over $50 million last year, mostly from souvenirs sold at Graceland. His final resting place attracts over 500,000 visitors annually – second only to the White House!

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O

More of his albums have been released posthumously than when he was alive and although he never had an American hit single (he wrote I Shot The Sheriff, Eric Clapton had the hit), few others changed the ethnic music landscape so profoundly. His death in 1981 from cancer at 36 came when his gospel of One World, One Love – inspired by his Rastafarian beliefs – was being embraced by millions. Legend (1984), a compilation of hits (Get Up, Stand Up, Could You Be Loved) is reggae’s best-selling album, with 20 million sales and counting. A rebel hero of Jamaican/English parentage, racial strife, poverty, religion and political unrest were recurrent themes in his music but it wasn’t until 1975, after the original Wailers had disbanded, that he had his first hit outside Jamaica with No Woman, No Cry. Exodus (1977) spent 56 weeks in the British charts and produced four hit singles: the title track, Jamming, One Love and Waiting in Vain. Awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit just before his death, he received a state funeral in Jamaica and was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Bob Marley Queen Queen have spent 27 years in the British album charts; longer than any other musical act. Their 2006 Greatest Hits was the UK’s all-time best selling album and they had UK No. 1s with 18 albums, 18 singles and 10 DVDs. Bohemian Rhapsody (1975) is Britain’s third-best-selling single (after Band Aid’s Do They Know it’s Christmas? and Elton John’s Candle in the Wind) and the only single to become UK Christmas number one twice (it was re-released after Freddie Mercury’s death). Formed in 1970 by lead vocalist Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor, Queen drew inspiration from multiple genres, from camped-up glam rock to heavy metal, and pioneered the high voltage concert spectacular. They gained worldwide fame with Sheer Heart Attack (1974) and A Night at the Opera (1975), a success that continued beyond Mercury’s 1991 death from AIDS. The 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium holds the record as the largest rock star benefit, televised to over 1.2 billion viewers and raising over £20 million for AIDS charities.

Deacon retired in 1997 but May and Taylor have performed at special events and, until last year, toured with Paul Rodgers, former lead singer of Free and Bad Company.

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Bob Dylan

An American singer/songwriter, poet, caustic social and political critic and guiding spirit of the counterculture generation who rose to fame during ‘the protest era’ of the Vietnam War. A major figure in music for five decades (he turns 69 this month), Blowin’ in the Wind and The Times They Are a-Changin’ became anthems for the civil rights and anti-war movements. Performing with guitar, piano and harmonica, his music explores many genres, from folk and blues to country, rock and roll and jazz and he’s staged some 100 live concerts a year since 1988 on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour. He has produced nearly 50 albums, 58 singles and won numerous awards including 11 Grammys, and a Golden Globe and an Oscar for Best Original Song. In 2008, the Pulitzer Prize jury awarded him a special citation for his impact on American culture.

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Madonna Still the reigning Queen of Pop at 51, and the most successful female solo artist of this generation, she’s a songwriter, record producer, dancer, actress (22 films, winning a Best Actress Golden Globe for Evita), author (children’s and adult books) clothing designer and self-publicist rolled into one Material Girl. With 200 million albums, Celebration (2009) her 11th UK No. 1, ties her with Elvis as the solo act with most UK chart-topping albums in history Working the Madonna/whore dichotomy like a pro (attracting criticism from The Vatican) with boundary-pushing music videos, she maintains dominance through her chameleon-like ability for reinvention and the scope and spectacle of her live shows while keeping total creative control, unlike many ‘manufactured’ stars. Surpassing her own record Confessions Tour, Sticky & Sweet became the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist ($US 280 million).

Once commenting that the first song to impress her was Nancy Sinatra’s These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ because it summed up her ‘take-charge attitude’, it didn’t gel with fans when she used it to flout the rules over her adoption of Malawi orphan David Banda.

She is currently co-writing and directing her second film, W.E., a biopic about King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.

U2

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Along with 145 million album sales and 22 Grammys, Dublin band U2 have campaigned for numerous humanitarian causes and were awarded Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award for their human rights work. Led by vocalist Bono and formed in 1976 while the four members were at secondary school, they were more successful as a live act than at selling records until 1987’s The Joshua Tree. Their latest U2 360° Tour, featuring a 360-degree staging/audience configuration and headlining their experimental 12th album, No Line on the Horizon, was the second highest grossing of the ‘Noughties’, after the Stones. On 25 June the band will headline the Glastonbury Festival. Their visibility has been greatly helped by their political activism which influences the lyrical content of their distinctive music, with its emphasis on melodic instrumentals and larger-than-life vocals. Participation in 1984’s Band Aid for Ethiopian famine relief lead to the hit charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas?, the first of several collaborations with Bob Geldof, and they have used their music to raise funds for everything from Bosnian war victims to AIDS in South Africa. Bono has co-founded many philanthropic projects in aid of Africa and received an honorary knighthood in 2006.

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O

Michael Jackson

The King of Pop was the most exciting performer of his generation who dazzled on stage, united black and white music and dominated the music charts for over four decades. He holds records for 15 Grammys and 17 American chart-topping singles and achieved global record sales of 780 million. Thriller (1982) sold more than 110 million copies, the best-selling album of all time.

In the spotlight with his brothers from age four as lead singer in The Jackson 5, he achieved iconic status as a solo artist with smash hits like Billie Jean and Bad, peaking with his 1983 performance at Motown’s 25th anniversary concert when he debuted his famous moonwalk, watched by 47 million viewers. But Wacko Jacko, as he was later dubbed, became an increasingly freakish figure, a middle-aged man-child who wore a germ mask, kept a pet chimpanzee and surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, leading to accusations of paedophilia. His death last June from a drug overdose – ruled as homicide (his personal physician is being investigated for manslaughter) – as he prepared for a comeback tour to vanquish years of sexual scandal and financial ruin sums up the tragedy of this eccentric musical genius… But the legend lives on – Sony Music has signed a $250 million deal with the Jackson estate to extend distribution rights to 2017 and release 10 new albums, including previously unrecorded material – the most expensive music contract to an artist ever.

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Radiohead vs. Coldplay

Currently two of the greatest British alternative rock bands who have achieved iconic status for their indie electronic sounds and rhythms. Their early music looked to the over-arching melodies of 1970’s British rock and the guitar dynamics of bands like U2 and is often compared, a connection Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin acknowledged when he said: “Sometimes I feel like they (Radiohead) cleared a path with a machete, and we came afterward and put up a strip mall.” Radiohead has produced seven albums to Coldplay’s four but the latter’s more commercial sound has won four Grammys and six Brit Awards to Radiohead’s three Grammys and zero Brit Awards from eight nominations. Radiohead, a five piece band fronted by lead vocalist Thom Yorke, released their first single, Creep, in 1992 but had to wait for worldwide fame until their triple platinum third album, OK Computer (1997), hailed for its deeply reflective lyrics and musical experimentation. Their first six albums have sold more than 25 million copies. Their seventh, In Rainbows (2007), was originally released as a digital download. Coldplay are a four piece post-Britpop band who became a household name in 2000 with their second single, Yellow. Their follow-up album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, won multiple awards and was NME’s Album of the Year, while Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008) won a Grammy. They have sold over 50 million records worldwide. n

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THEPEOPLE LADY GAGA

write or create, “When you make musicbor mind-blowing, it’s really your jo to haxve se with whatever irresponsible, condomless out at the time.” idea it is you’re writing ab With her outré outfits, sexuallycharged songs and camp theatricality, Lady Gaga has repackaged pop for a new generation and is poised to wrest the crown from Madonna as the new Queen of Performance Art. Belinda Beckett profiles the outrageous singer/songwriter sensation whose blonde ambition stops at nothing (going commando included) in her pursuit of ‘The Fame’.

H

er trajectory from posh convent school girl to international pop superstar has been faster than the speed of light with two albums, two Grammy awards, five top 10 hit-singles and over 10 million album sales in the bag, all within a two-year timescale. Along the way she has thrilled audiences by setting her piano alight, covering herself in blood and hanging from a noose on stage, and fed the gossip mags with lines like, “I can actually mentally give myself an orgasm.”

Dig her or dismiss her brassy melodies and

banging pop hooks, there’s no denying her musical talent; before her first album (The Fame, August 2008) topped several country’s album charts and produced two hit singles (Just Dance and Poker Face), she was writing songs for Britney Spears, New Kids on the Block, Fergie and Pussycat Dolls. She has a huge knack for self-promotion, orchestrating her own outrageous image (the giant hair bows, the telephone hats and soap bubble dresses, the androgynous drag queen look), socking her OTT performance art to audiences

LADY GAGA’S 46

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en “Some women choose to follow men, and some wom h choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering whic e wak r neve way to go, remember that your career will e.” up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymor with an iron fist concealed in a velvet designer glove. At 24, she shows a wisdom beyond her years, illustrated by her follow-up album, The Fame Monster (November 2009) whose lyrics deal with the darker side of celebrity. (‘Monsters’ is her term of endearment for her fans). This lady knows the fame game inside out, and she’s milking it for all its worth. Move over Madonna, with whom she has been compared (they are both Catholic Italian-Americans, too), and of whom Gaga said dismissively: “I don’t want to sound presumptuous, but I’ve made it my goal to revolutionise pop music. The last revolution was launched by Madonna 25 years ago.”

Glam rock musicians David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, singer Grace Jones, pop artist Andy Warhol and fashion designer Donatella Versace are all sources of inspiration

for her songwriting, while Haus of Gaga, her own creative team, designs her clothing and stage sets. She says: “When I’m writing music, I’m thinking about the clothes I want to wear on stage. I channel Versace in everything I do.

Donatella is my muse in so many ways: she’s iconic, powerful and definitely provocative.

There’s a wide-open space in this industry for a female with big balls to fill.”

Well, you know what they say about convent school-educated girls… and Stefani Germanotta went to one of the best – New York’s Sacred Heart whose alumni include the Hilton sisters and Caroline Kennedy. But her middle class parents had to sacrifice for her education and she took school seriously, at first. Classically trained in piano which she could play by ear, aged four, she wrote her first piano ballad at 13 and was performing at ‘open mike’ nights at 14. According to one of her teenage friends, she was “a very suburban, preppy, friendly, social party girl – there was nothing that would tip you off that she had this Warhol-esque extremism.”

At 18, half way through a music degree at New York University, she chucked it in to pursue her career in a more hands-on way, her father agreeing to pay her rent for a year on condition that she re-enroll if she failed. She began by dabbling in drugs and dancing bar-top burlesque in seedy Lower East Side dives. As she puts it: “I got the cheapest apartment I could find and ate shit until somebody would listen. My father couldn’t look at me for months, I was in leather thongs, I used to go-go dance and set G-strings on fire – he just didn’t understand. But my parents saw me getting better, and now my father cries when he sees me perform.”

Several people have claimed credit for discovering Gaga, including Rob Fusari who said when he met her, “I thought she was a female John Lennon… she was the oddest talent.” Fusari dated her, co-wrote and produced her early songs and came

up with her name, derived from Radio Gaga by Queen. He recently filed a $30 million law suit for a percentage of her profits and is probably not the last enemy Gaga will make… Her image, however, was her own invention. Naturally brunette, she went blonde to avoid constant comparisons to Amy Winehouse, with whom she shares the same height, the collection of tattoos and the big nose.

Her big break came when she was signed to Interscope Records to write songs for their artists, where her own performing ability was spotted, and 2008 found her in Los Angeles working on her debut album. The second single, Poker Face, became the most downloaded song in British chart history. The lyrics explore bisexuality, a club to which Gaga has claimed membership.

But she’s also into boys… and then there was talk of being a hermaphrodite, an Internet rumour based on a grainy video… To Gaga, all publicity is good publicity.

Next came the tours – as an opening act for New Kids on the Block and Pussycat Dolls and on her own North American tour, Fame Ball, the perfect showcase for her highly visual brand of performance art. The ‘fame ball’ started rolling: magazine front covers, product endorsements (Polaroid cameras) and a spot at London’s 2009 Royal Variety Performance where she sang Speechless for the Queen. She’s even into charity giving, donating over $500,000 to Haiti earthquake victims.

Her second album has produced two international hit singles (Bad Romance and Telephone) while the third, Alejandro, charted in Britain before its release. The current world tour, Monster Ball, is scheduled to run until September though not everyone is impressed. A review in The Guardian commented: “It takes a certain je ne sais quoi to open your show doing something that looks suspiciously like mime on a rickety metal staircase while wearing an outfit with shoulderpads the size of the deck on a small aircraft carrier.”

Only time will tell whether Gaga will get more than 15 minutes of fame but at least one person is convinced she’s here for the long haul: the Lady herself. Pondering the future, she says: “If people think Gaga is over the top and decadent now, I’m afraid for them. They have no idea what’s to come.” n

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THETHEME LOCAL ARTISTS

© Trevor Brooks

Tres Divos and the Magic of POPera

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icholas Pound is tall, handsome and reminiscent of the charismatic George Peppard in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. With his silver-flecked hair and piercing blue eyes, he expresses strength and sensitivity, power and surrender through his looks as much as his voice. Tom Lowe, with his wavy auburn hair and icy green eyes, bubbles with an unmistakeably boyish charm, oozing theatricality through every pore, and excitement in his youthful-sounding voice. Arran Harding, a Justin Timberlakemeets Vin Diesel type, is the edgy, buff component of the team with a voice that ranges from throaty rock to angelic classical, and a muscle-bound physique that houses 12 tattoos (normally unseen beneath his tuxedo). Together they are Tres Divos. What relevance could their looks possibly have to their musicality, you may wonder? Plenty, since Tres Divos aspires to the Platonic idea of beauty: where the aim of art is to emulate divine perfection in every sense possible. Tres Divos come pretty close to this ideal, from their Tom Ford tuxedos to the lush harmony of their voices.

Music is one of the things that makes life worth living and Tres

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Divos help us forget the stressful, hard part of our days with classical melodies that heal old wounds and help us aspire to a better future.

Those who like to get out and about on the coast have undoubtedly already enjoyed Tres Divos live. They have performed everywhere, from Marbella’s finest five-star hotels to trendy restaurants such as Polo House, the romantic Castillo Bil Bil in Benalmádena and the luxurious Finca Cortesín in Casares. If you have been to one of their concerts, then you know that their focus is decidedly classical. “In our play list we will often put in a lively number or two, due to audience demand; but what really defines us are classical numbers, the kind sung by Andrea Bocelli, Il Divo or The Three Tenors,” says Arran. The songs on their first CD testify to this passion, with entries such as Because We Believe, Nella Fantastia and Regresa a Mi offering a decidedly romantic, exclusive listening experience which, in my case, makes driving to work every day an emotional, pleasurable journey.

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The Voices

of the Costa del Sol Marisa Cutillas talks to the most popular singers on the current musical scene: classical music trio Tres Divos, Welsh tenor Stephen Lloyd-Morgan and the winner and runner-up of the Wow! Factor 2009 competition, respectively Christian Fa and Rebecca Tate.

Nicholas, Tom and Arran come from at once disparate, yet parallel, backgrounds. All three sang in their respective school choirs, all three have appeared in musicals (Tom and Nicholas have also done a lot of pantomime all over the UK); all have traded the hard, more competitive London life for the peace of the Costa del Sol. Nicholas, who has performed in the West End and shone in top musicals such as Cats, Les Miserables (where he played Jean Valjean) and Man of La Mancha (playing his favourite role, Don Quijote), had no doubts about leaving his established theatrical career behind and setting up a rental property company with his partner in Spain. Nick and Tom agree on one thing: in London, the process of auditioning, performing as a team and avoiding the clashing of egos can rob you of your soul.

Arran, meanwhile, surprises us with more than his tattoos; he is a licensed commercial broker who practiced in London for 12 years before leaving his corporate career for the sunnier climes of Elviria. “I hated my job,” he admits, adding, “I didn’t want to work at the same office on the same computer every day of my life. I had a talent I could use and I thought I could make the most of it in Marbella.” Arran first discovered his voice in secondary school, when a teacher invited him to audition for a musical. “I got the lead role and, since then, I have recorded a single, worked on musicals and honed my skill in classical singing.” (Arran has studied voice with Jenny Gucci).

Of the three singers, it was Tom who started in show business the earliest, landing a part in the musical

South Pacific at the age of nine. This involved joining a theatre company that performed in over 20 shows.

Given his talent and the enthusiastic reaction from audiences, Tom was inspired to take up formal training at a theatre school in Guildford, Surrey, which was “a bit like the school in FAME. We took classes in ballet, singing and tap dancing, which prepared us to perform in all genres, from musicals to pantomime.” Tom obtained his first job through the school, accepting the challenge to travel to Salou, in north coastal Spain, for a show that featured both Spanish flamenco and English performers. The five-month stint was a dream for any young lad, more so for one with a passion for theatre running through his veins. “When I returned to England, my first professional job was singing in My Fair Lady and for the next 20 years I worked in theatre.” His best gig? “Performing aboard a luxury cruise liner. I was able to travel to countries along the Atlantic and Mediterranean and visit Russia, Norway and Sweden.”

With all this travelling, it was perhaps a question of destiny that the divos should have found each other.

Nick and Tom met while working on the musical Evita (some 20 years ago) in London although the original Tres Divos consisted of Nick, Arran and a third singer who parted ways with the group one week before their first performance. To the rescue came Tom who knew every song by heart, since he had been helping the lads in rehearsals with arrangements and voices. Since then the trio has been delighting both Spaniards and expats with a repertoire Nicholas defines as ‘popera’, a

fusion of popular and classical traditions made famous by artists such as Andrea Bocelli.

Tres Divos are delighted with the diversity offered by the coast, where their voices have been sought after at the parties of the rich and famous, weddings, al fresco concerts and popular restaurants. One of their most popular acts involves a craze that is currently sweeping London: singing waiters, the phenomenon whereby guests are surprised when the maitre d’ and waiters begin to ‘argue’, then sing in surprisingly excellent voices. Explains Nick, “Throughout the evening we behave like normal waiters, serving wine, etc, and when we suddenly take the microphone and begin to sing, the guests are dumbfounded until they realise it’s all part of the act.”

Tres Divos have achieved plenty in relatively little time: they have created interest in classical music, set a standard for live performances and done their share for the community, appearing at charity galas and lending their voices to a charity music single. Their plans for the future include performing on more grand cruise liners (“We can fly in and out so it doesn’t affect our residence on the coast,” says Arran), shining at local and overseas concerts and making special events, such as weddings, something to remember. They are currently performing at Polo House every month and, from the July 5th, begin weekly Monday nights at the Don Carlos Hotel in Elviria. On May 30, Nicholas will be singing for the Leukemia Gala at the Ristorante Villa Tiberio.

i For further information, www.tresdivos.co.uk essential marbella magazine

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Man for all Seasons Stephen Lloyd-Morgan

© CJ Hadlow

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here is something about Wales that instils ‘Hiraeth’ in any countryman who wanders too far… a sense of longing, a yearning for home which will compel most Welshmen to wax lyrical about the homeland, as summed up in a popular Welsh folk song: “I have dwelt ‘neath southern skies Where the summer never dies But my heart is in the mountains of my home.”

Stephen Lloyd-Morgan is every inch the Welshman; a musician in heart and soul though his day job is investment banking in Gibraltar. Listening to Steve belt out classical hits and songs from musicals, you would never guess he dedicated himself to anything other than music or, indeed, that he is more famous for his shyness than he likes to admit. “As soon as I get off stage I go back to being the shy, retiring wallflower,” he says, adding, “People who speak to me after I perform sometimes say they can’t believe it is the same person who was up there. My colleagues at the bank also find it really difficult to make the connection between me and my alter ego.”

Steve is very much a modern-day Jekyll and Hyde, singing on weekends and working as a financial analyst from Monday to Friday, completing an MBA and studying for accountancy exams, all without going insane. “I have two parts to my psyche,” he explains; “the creative part and the one that is more logical, and the reality is that the combination of the two keeps me sane. When I was pursuing music full-time I felt that something was missing, and vice-versa with banking. The two parts of my life make me what I am.”

Despite being a relative late-comer to the scene, music was always an influential factor in Steve’s life. His father was part of local band The Zenders in the 60s, renowned for their hit song Have I The Right and for having the first female drummer in Welsh rock ‘n’ roll history. The young Steve was always enamoured by local sensations Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey… “They’re a great inspiration because they never hide behind their voices.

If you compare the breathy quality of many contemporary singers with the straight-down-the-line vocals of Sir Tom and Dame Shirley, quite frankly there is no comparison.

Similarly with me: what you see is what you get!” he says.

Steve’s first flirtation with music occurred at 14 when he won a role in The Pirates of Penzance. “That was probably the first time that I had ever sung and, since then, I have had a passion for all things Gilbert & Sullivan,” he tells us. This first taste of musical magic led to many

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roles, including understudy for the lead role of Roger in Rent in Ireland and the role of Cain in Children of Eden. The latter was “a great role… I got to play the bad boy! As for Rent, it’s now a global phenomenon as it brings the story of Puccini’s La Bohème to modern day New York. Its philosophy is ‘No day but today!’ In the end, none of us know what is around the corner so it’s best to live in the here and now,” he says passionately.

Steve has been living in a village overlooking Casares, for four years now. In this time he has shone at many shows and charity events. His best gig? “A show Nick (his Manager) and I put together at El Castillo de La Duquesa, in Manilva. We didn’t know what to expect in terms of ticket sales, etc, but we need not have worried. We had to turn people away as the response was so good. It was such a great setting and fantastic feeling to come on stage and be given a spontaneous round of applause; I stood there for a second thinking, ‘Oh My God! They are clapping for me before I have even started singing!’”

Of the many charities Steve has performed for, he is particularly fond of Cudeca. “Today, if someone remains untouched by cancer then they are the exception to the rule. I have lost nine family members to this disease, including my granddad. What the people of Cudeca do is amazing and I would not have any of their jobs for all the coal in Rhondda!”

This season, fans can look forward to an exciting new development in Stephen’s career. A 16 piece orchestra has been specially formed to accompany him at future performances. The premier performance of Stephen with The Marbella Concert Orchestra, conducted by Ian Green, will be at The Rhys Daniels Trust Butterfly Ball at the Hotel Puente Romano on June 5, with a selection of Musical Theatre, Opera and Cross-Over, sung in English, Spanish and Italian. Other performances are planned for July and August.

i For further information, www.slmlive.com

© David Toms

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Reaching for t he St ars

Photography © KH Photography, Gary Edwards and Courtesy of Christian Fa

Christian Fa & Becky Tate

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hen Christian Fa, 17, and Rebecca Tate, 15, won the first and runner-up positions, respectively, at the Wow! Factor 2009 competition, the audience was surprised, to say the least, to discover that the two singing sensations were still at school. This month, we learn more about Christian Fa and Rebecca ‘Becky’ Tate.

Christian Fa’s parents can’t recall the first time he ever expressed an interest in music. “He wasn’t even one year old when he would sing along to nursery rhymes. By the age of two he had learned his favourite rhyme by heart and would sing it to us,” says his mother, Gilda. By four, he was already performing on stage, his first role playing a tough ‘TBird’ in the musical Grease. His parents recall how, when he was just a little boy, Christian got up on stage in Gibraltar’s famous Piccadilly Pub to perform with a well-known singing group. Now, at the age of 17, Christian is arguably Gibraltar’s brightest rising star. He has accomplished many things, including performing in a dance competition in Los Angeles with Disney and composing and performing his own song, A Mother’s Touch, in front of one of the most famous musical schools in the United States: Young Americans, the same institution attended by a plethora of stars, including Julie Andrews.

Christian also blew away the Wow! Factor judges, taking home the top prize at last year’s competition, and has performed at many charity galas along the Costa del Sol. At the Young Americans school, Christian achieved what few were able to. He explains, “Every year, they pick one child to compose a song and perform for all the Young Americans. I had written a song for my mother because she gave me life and is always there for me.” Indeed, Christian’s family is a great part of his success. Never have you met more loving, supportive parents, who know what it means to sacrifice in order to give their children a future. Christian sums it up: “My parents guide, support me and make it possible. I have always felt comfortable and confident to pursue music, thanks to them.” His father, Joseph, is an important piece in the puzzle. Christian’s Mum explains: “There’s

a bit of an age gap between myself and Christian’s dad, who is 27 years older. This means he has the wisdom we yet have to achieve and can teach Christian from his own mistakes.” Adds Joseph: “If you want something, you have to go out and make it happen. Don’t wait for it to just come to you.”

Christian is incredibly open. When I met him and his family in a popular shopping centre, and lamented that the crowds meant I couldn’t possibly ask him to sing for me, he replied, “Of course I can sing!” and proceeded to give a powerful rendition of Amy Winehouse’s Valerie. Indeed, despite his level-headed personality, Christian has much more in common with Amy Winehouse than you would suspect. For one, Winehouse’s teacher, Silvia Young, has offered Christian a week’s scholarship to attend her school, an offer he will take up after he finishes his A-levels. Additionally, he brims over with talent though, unlike Winehouse, he is incredibly protective of his health, even following a pescetarian diet and avoiding fizzy drinks to protect his voice.

The future is an open book for Christian. His ultimate aim is to be a recording artist or perform in the West End, though he insists, “I may opt for a degree that combines my two great loves: art and music. The most important thing for me is to get an education.” This is, perhaps, why Christian isn’t already chasing the bright lights of L.A. or London, despite having had the chance to. “I think that a couple of years ago I was too young to be on my own anyway… I’ve achieved a lot by staying in Gibraltar until I finish my studies.” One of these achievements is perfecting his voice, thanks to lessons with opera singer Nathan Payas.

Christian is more than a musical whiz; he is also a special soul, a bright light that shines with sincerity and goodness. A counsellor on the Young Americans website hardly has words to describe what it was like meeting him: “He was so out there and open. With most kids you really have to work to get something out of them.” For Christian, music is linked to his very being: his personality, his values, his soul. He says, “In every performance I do the best I can but if I don’t win a competition or get what I want, I ask myself, ‘What have I experienced from this and how can I do better next time’?” The simple truth is that Christian ‘gets’ music; he understands it in a way that great artists, like Michael Jackson have done. “Music teaches me that love has no limits. There is no limit to how much love I can show in a song.

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Photography © Kh Photography

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Make-up: Caroline López

ecky Tate arrives at our interview in jeans and a leather jacket, her blonde hair flowing freely and a big smile gracing her serenely beautiful face. Accompanied by her fit, youthful mum Maxine (who shocks me when she informs me she’s a mother of four), Becky is showing no signs of tiredness at the end of a long day at school. It’s to be expected; Becky is only 15.

Hailing from Manchester, the young chanteuse joined her parents and siblings to move to the sunnier climes of Estepona some three years ago.

As I chat with her and her mum, it is clear that she has been gifted with a set of parents who are wise enough to recognise that Becky’s true interest and strength lies not in academia, but rather in her God-given talent: her voice, angelic yet powerful enough to garner her the runner-up position at last year’s Wow! Factor, where she delighted the audience with a terrific rendition of Hero. Music has always been ‘it’ for Becky, who first performed at the age of four in the musical Annie at the Albert Hall in Bolton.

Becky lives in Estepona but is currently enrolled at the international school in Sotogrande, which merits the long daily drive because of its strong emphasis on music and theatre. There, she has made friends who share her passion for music and has shone in many productions and musicals, though her true dream is to one day be a recording star and enjoy as successful a career as two of her idols: Leona Lewis and Alicia Keys. Listening to Becky sing, you’d be surprised to learn she also knows how to dance (her current passion is hiphop) and has been offered a scholarship to a Marbella dance school. Becky also plays the guitar and piano and composes her own songs. If all this wasn’t enough, she somehow finds time for charitable works, performing for organisations such as Cudeca at gala events and recently undertaking a trip to Morrocco to help underprivileged orphans.

Becky has set her goals high, yet she is well aware of the importance of having a ‘Plan B’. After completing her IB exams, she hopes to study music or obtain a music teaching degree and maybe even dabble in musicals and theatre. Somehow, we hope her dream of shining as a solo artist comes true. From her joyously youthful appearance right through to her charisma, down-to-earth attitude and, above all, her potent voice, we hope to see her name at the top of the pop charts some time soon. n

The Prayer for Haiti

PRAYER FOR HAITI Music with a mission...

A group of the Costa del Sol’s top singing stars have come together to produce a charity single in aid of the Haití earthquake victims. The song, a cover version of Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli´s highly emotional ballad, The Prayer is dedicated to helping those suffering in the aftermath of this tragic disaster.

Sung in Italian, English and Spanish, the recording features acclaimed singing professionals as well as talented newcomers and combines a powerful mix of singing styles. The line-up includes ITV´s X Factor finalist Rowetta, the celebrated tenor Stephen Lloyd-Morgan, WoW Factor runner-up Rebecca Tate, Mayte, Daniel Boland, The Unity Gospel Singers and the popular classical group Tres Divos.

The single is initially released as an internet download only, royalty free, by kind permission of writers David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager & Andrea Bocelli. Produced

by Nick Holland & Stephen Lloyd-Morgan in association with Maurice Boland of Talk Radio Europe and essential magazine, 100% of the proceeds from sales will go directly to the Ark Christian Fellowship, a part of the Child Care Ministries, which has had a presence in Haiti for over 8 years and is aiming to build a school.

To download the single (2.5 USD) and help the Haiti children or for further information: www.slmlive.com/theprayerforhaiti or look out for it on iTunes

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THETHEME

BEL’S BLOG

Bel’s Blog

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in’ down with the blues Woke up this mornin’, feel skinful of booze one Last night I done had me ws ‘n’ that ain’t all the bad ne y da on M y da rk wo t we a It’s hbound bus man ‘Cus if I don’t get that sout ’ to lose My job ain’t all I’ll be fixin report belinda Bec

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THETREND

CARS

T

est-driving the first four-door Aston Martin along a mountain road on the outskirts of Valencia at a speed that would send most cars spinning hopelessly into the trees, the gorgeous six-litre V12 engine note hardening to a spine-tingling howl, it’s immediately apparent that Aston has not sacrificed the core values that have made the marque a legend.

This is a real sports car; it just happens to have four seats and a veneer of respectability to go with its outrageous 470bhp headline figure.

The marque kept facing the same requests for a practical version of the achingly beautiful DB9; it could be golf clubs, it could be kids, it could be a wife who didn’t want a mid-life crisis car – there were all sorts of reasons. The Rapide is the impressive answer to all of them and Aston expects to sell 2,000 a year, even at £139,950.

A fleet awaited our arrival in Valencia, chosen for its good weather as well as its collision of heritage and modern architecture that embodies the new world Aston Martin. Motoring press from around the

Report and Photography nick hall

globe were there to try out the car that Aston hopes will take the world by storm. And, despite sitting on a hugely expensive car facing obvious competition, during the recent economic meltdown, from the likes of the cheaper Porsche Panamera Turbo, nobody was nervous. Designer Marek Reichman worked long and hard to incorporate the four doors into what is, essentially, a DB9 shape with approximately 30cm more to play with, lengthwise, and a little more headroom. The rear doors are small, and arch upwards to stay within the confines of classic Gaydon design philosophies, and the effort that has gone into the glass-to-glass door closing mechanism, deemed essential to get the correct look, has to be seen to be believed. Even the rear grab handle, a solid billet of aluminium that connects to a hidden magnet in the frame, is worthy of mention.

The rear seats might be one of the car’s raisons d’être, so I hit the back seat for a small portion of our test and, although it’s certainly cosy, headroom isn’t an issue for anyone under six feet tall, as there’s

plenty of space. But the way the seats restrain the passenger, I wouldn’t want more than an hour or two in there, even with the DVD player set into the headrest, the concert hall-standard Bang & Olufsen stereo or the individual air conditioning. Because, despite the opulent trimmings, this is no luxury limousine; it’s a big sports car.

The Aston squashed the worst of the local roads that are truly agricultural, even before you leave the limits of Valencia. In Drive mode, with the suspension set to soft, it’s smoother than a shaved egg. Then, as our map reading went awry in the centre of town and we needed to beat four lanes of determined Spanish traffic to hit the off-ramp for the City of Arts and Sciences, I clicked the sublime Touchtronic 2 ZF gearbox into manual mode with the paddle shift, planted the throttle and the sports car within came howling to the fore.

Paddle shifts generally lie dormant in luxury cars once the initial novelty of playing F1 has worn

e r i F e d i Rap

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Life is full of twisted irony and never more so than in the supercar world. By the time you can afford one, chances are you’ll have grown out of the idea. And if not, you should have, as there is nothing more pathetic than an open-top Ferrari screaming through town with the last graying wisps of hair on the owner’s head wafting in the wind. But the Aston Martin Rapide could just be the answer to that. off but, with the Rapide, they’ll form an integral part of the drive home every day and it’s lucky that the rear seats are so sculpted and supportive. It’s not hard to imagine dad getting carried away with his fast-driving James Bond fantasy and forget they’re there, until the time arrives to remove the shaken, stirred and possibly traumatised youngsters from the car. Because, beyond the confines of the city, this car truly comes alive. With the adaptive damping set to firm and the sport mode engaged to hold the gear firmly in place until you tell it to shift up, even if that means hitting the redline, this is a real, honestto-goodness sports car.

That five metre length works for the car. The natural stability that the monstrous wheelbase confers means it can take bends at a speed that would leave the shorter DBS and V8 Vantage wagging their tails like a happy dog. The nose cuts in with surety, precision and tensile strength and then, with a subtle nibble at each corner, the traction control cuts in almost

impercebtibly to keep this hulking mass of metal on a perfect path. There’s a track mode which allows a greater degree of slip at the rear but on a winding Spanish back road, with a cliff face on one side and a serious drop on the other, it felt right to leave that for another day. With the electronics fully engaged, though, there’s a wondrous balance, an inherent ‘rightness’ about the set-up that allows you to simply forget the two seats in the back until the kids throw up on the expensive leather…

CEO Ulrich Bez revealed at the launch that he will race the car in the upcoming Nurburgring 24 Hours. So, if you still have doubts about its sporting credentials, he’s happy to answer them after the race.

He might want a touch of extra power, though.

The noise isn’t as raw and ready as the raucous DBS and at low revs it’s a distant rumble. But when it hits 4,000 the floodgates open and the note hardens to a deep, satisfying mechanical roar. It’s not quite as fast as the out-and-out sports cars in the line-up, hitting 60mph in 5.1s; it even feels, dare we say it, a

ENGINE u 6-litre V12 POWER u 470bhp TORQUE u 600Nm 0-60mph u 5.1s Top Speed u 188mph Price u £139,950

touch lethargic low down in the rev range. But, once into the mid-range, it really flies and won’t top out until it hits 188mph. There’s nowhere on Earth where you really need to go faster and, more importantly, it feels faster than most cars in its class – even the Panamera Turbo that will, technically, rip it apart.

For all the small touches, for all the clever luxuries, DVD players in the head rests and interesting points on the production line tour, it is that hard charge along the mountain road that defines the Rapide experience.

It is a truly immense car that is just what big, balding adolescent grown-ups who should know better have been looking for. n

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THETRAVELLER GOLF

My Three Favourite Holes at

Los Arqueros Golf & Country Club

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et among rugged hills, the impecable fairways of Los Arqueros Golf & Country Club merge with the spectacular surrounding scenery, affording golfers spectacular views over the Mediterranean.

Opened in 1991, Los Arqueros is a challenging par 71, 18-hole course designed by Spanish golfing great, Severiano Ballesteros. Considered one of the best players in the world, Seve has used his know-how to create some 30 golf courses all over the world. The underlying idea in the design of Los Arqueros was to create a course which followed the lie of the land and blended harmoniously with the natural surroundings. Seve took this philosophy to heart, with each hole boasting its own personality. The result is a challenging course for the experienced player and a genuine test for those who are new to the game.

HOLE 5

Par 3, S.I. 15, 145m from yellow tee It is very similar to the 2nd hole, but uphill and with magnificent views. The green is protected by bunkers on the left and right side, so be sure to hit an accurate and straight shot and play it safe. If you go too far, you can use the slope behind and to the left of the green without a problem. A good, wellweighted shot could set you up with a birdie opportunity with only three to play.

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Par 5, S.I. 6, 437m from yellow tee I have to admit that the reason I chose this hole is the beautiful coast views of Africa and the mountain range. But apart from this, it is also a very difficult hole and tough to make the green in two shots. If you are a low handicapper, go for it! If not, play it safe and place your third shot in order for your approach to be a short chip close to the pin.

Beware of hazards both left and right.

report and photography paul brazell Acosta

i LOS ARQUEROS golf & country Club Ronda Road, km 44.5, Benahavís, Málaga.

Tel: 952 784 600. www.losarqueros.com

Paul Brazell Acosta Professional events photographer Tel: 669 694 848. www.paulacostaphotography.com

HOLE 13

HOLE 15 Par 4, S.I. 8, 345m from yellow tee Here you are faced with a slight dog-leg to the left and a very tricky green. You will find yourself out of bounds to the right and also back of the green. The lake is not in reach, so no need to worry about its ‘magnet effect’ attracting your ball. Once again, on this hole you can appreciate the beauty and landscaping of this magnificent golf course. Surely you’ll agree with me when I say, “Seve, you really knew what you were doing when you designed this course. ¡Enhorabuena, amigo!”n

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GOLF RESORT Premier gated Resort with outstanding Dave Thomas par 72 golf course. Charming Club House overlooking an ornamental lake. Delightful Riding Centre and championship arena. All set amongst tranquil Mediterranean woodland enjoying glorious views across the sea to Gibraltar and African coastline.

24 hr security. Club membership exclusive to owners.

Fully serviced plots and completed villas for sale.

95 286 6306 路 realestate@marbellaclub.com

www.marbellaclub.com

THETREND

INTERNET Report phil morse

Marketing Essentials, part 4

Sponsorship

i Phil Morse co-runs Reedus

Design, the Costa del Sol’s longest-established web design and Internet marketing agency.

For more information, contact info@reedusdesign.com www.reedusdesign.com

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ponsorship and marketing your business online go hand in hand. In a world where people spend as much time on Facebook and in their email programme as they do browsing commercial websites, having a strategy for getting your company’s name publicised in a wider sphere than your website is essential. Either of the types of sponsorship outlined below is a great way of doing this.

Charity begins at home ‘Give to get’ is a proven mantra, and by putting your money behind a local team or charity (or giving your time and expertise, it doesn’t have to be hard cash) you reap the rewards of knowing you’ve used your business to help your community, while hopefully also attracting new customers.

Being in partnership with a suitable local charity gives you a nice, non-commercial aside to add to your company’s web home page; but also, if you sponsor (say) a fundraising event locally, you could expect to get your logo on their web banners, the event’s website, emails/online press releases and blog posts.

Many companies enter teams in charity events and a reliable way to do so online is to use the biggest charity giving website, www.justgiving.net. This site allows people to sign up to undertake charitable events and then get their friends and family to sponsor them online, donating via credit card or PayPal over the Internet.

One way the site works is by every individual participant emailing everyone they know, asking them to sponsor them and forward the email on to their friends too, and so on. This is a form of what’s known as ‘viral marketing’. It’s good for your company’s brand awareness because every person who receives the call to give some money to the cause is led back

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

to the page your company set up to administer the event, complete with your logo and sponsorship message.

Sponsoring online media Another smart form of sponsorship is where a company pays to sponsor the activities of another organisation. For instance, say you’re a music promoter; if there happens to be a local website that promotes new bands, has a directory of promoters on it and a busy forum of wannabe musicians, your company could pay for the site’s hosting and email software in order to have a ‘with the support of…’ banner on the site and in the footer of the email blasts, making clear that the website and email newsletter are produced in association with you.

You gain exposure to a new audience and, hopefully, cement your relationship with a disparate range of people within your sector with whom you may struggle to get positive recognition from in other ways.

Choose your associations wisely Of course, as with all good marketing, it is the associations you establish that will make or break you in all of these areas – and the Internet can help in your research.

Want some ideas as to what others are doing? Think of the largest company in your sector and type their name into Google or Bing followed by ‘in partnership with’ (including the quotation marks). For instance, if you’re a computer company you may search for ‘IBM in partnership with’. This will return sites speaking of IBM’s partnerships and give you some insight into the nature of these arrangements.

This should help to trigger ideas for you, locally, that could produce similar synergies. n

Next month. public relations

>>>>>>>>

21/4/10 14:03:58

How much risk are you willing to accept when investing? Would you like a professional eye on your situation so that you are in a better position to invest in harmony with your attitude to risk?

For one thing, risk management comprises clarification of risk appetite, for another risk diversification suitable to your situation. The object is to manage risk in the best possible way

on the basis of your expectations – and we can offer you several solutions.

Visit jyskebank.gi/products or call an adviser direct.

JYSKE BANK (GIBRALTAR) LTD. • Private Banking 76, Main Street • P.O. Box 143 • Gibraltar Tel. +350 606 33322 • Fax +350 200 76782 info@jyskebank.gi • www.jyskebank.gi

Jyske Bank (Gibraltar) Ltd. is licensed by the Financial Services Commission, Licence No. FSC 001 00B. Services and products are not available to everybody, for instance not to residents of the US. 100420_230 x 300_A121ann1EN_Essential_Marbella.indd 1

08-04-2010 13:06:06

THETREND FACEBOOK

How to have an effective corporate presence on

Facebook for business: a powerful tool…

I

f you are a Facebooker, you’ve surely received the following email many times before: Blue Dragon Restaurant added you as a friend. We need to confirm that you know Blue Dragon in order for you to be friends on Facebook. “What?” – you ask yourself, wondering why on earth would you want to let the Blue Dragon Restaurant into your life, your private conversations and even allow it to see your kid’s photos.

Yet lots of people will confirm the link, which encourages businesses to carry on operating this way. Unfortunately with time this can dilute the social network as those concerned about their privacy become passive, not posting comments or personal photos of themselves or their family. This defeats the purpose of the whole exercise and taints Facebook with a bad reputation.

Fortunately, the creators of Facebook picked up on this problem a while ago and have provided tools for businesses that enable them to take advantage of the huge marketing potential of social media. This involves interaction with people without intruding on their privacy and supplying information that is solicited. When you decide to have a corporate presence on Facebook, you can choose between GROUPS and PAGES. Which one should you have? Probably both, but I will outline the characteristics of each so you can decide which one is more appropriate for your objectives.

Remember that in either case you will have to

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start by creating your own personal Facebook account. If you don’t want to be involved on a personal level, you can always create a ‘business account’ which only allows you to manage your pages, but let’s face it, if your business wants to target Facebookers, you really need to know what they are all about, so start by becoming one of them.

GROUPS In my opinion, groups are more similar to a ‘chat-room’ environment. Anybody can create a group and then invite others to join. This can be public or restricted and by invitation only. The creator, called the administrator, will manage the group, approve applicants and can appoint officers to help in the day-to-day administration. The creator and the officers, however, will have their own Facebook profile attached to all their posts and this transparency means their comments will reflect on them personally.

Within a group, it is accepted practice that members comment, post photos, links and videos, ask questions and advice, leave a remark in the subject matter of the group or even promote themselves or their services. It is very common for people to become a group member in order to post their own publicity, so those with a big number of members become even bigger. The officer’s job is similar to a ‘moderator’ in a chat-room as they try to keep the subject on track. Administrators are able

Report andrea black

to send out mass emails to their members if they are less then 5,000, but most groups’ strength lies in the diversity of the comments and conversations and many users become a member to leave a comment once and never re-visit again. Groups can only be searched from within Facebook and they are not visible to a non-Facebooker.

Some of the biggest Marbella related groups: Nikki Beach Marbella – 7,146 members Ocean Club Marbella – 6,911 members Marbella (Just for fun) – 2,410 members Some of the biggest groups in the World*: Let’s break a Guinness record! – 2010!

5,894,904 members I bet I can still find 1,000,000 people who dislike George Bush! – 947,013 members *Facebook users love to be a part of a group that’s about breaking records

PAGES A Facebook fan page is basically a legitimate ‘Profile Page’ for a business, public figure or brand. However, you won’t be able to make comments and ‘befriend’ people as if you were a real person but everything you post on your fanpage will appear in your followers’ ‘news stream’ as if you were a friend.

Users can decide to connect to your page by pressing the ‘Like this Page’ button (previously known as ‘become a fan’) without security concerns and you are able to acquire an

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MUSICIANS’ REPRESENTATION ON FACEBOOK* Facebook pages are a great tool for active and touring bands to keep their fans up-to-date. Exclusive interview releases, tour dates, TV appearances, awards, pictures or remastered videos are only a few examples of what you can enjoy if you are connected to your favourite musical group’s official page. All this information is posted directly into your personal news stream.

The most popular fan pages reflect advanced facebook applications for listening to and being able to ‘like’ numerous featured tracks, videos and other promotional material.

DEPECHE MODE – 1,212,264 followers DAVID BOWIE – 588,751 followers MICHAEL JACKSON – 11,630,980 followers BEYONCÉ – 3,149,883 followers MADONNA – 1,391,300 followers LADY GAGA – 6,414,551 followers LINKIN PARK – 4,194,668 followers THE ROLLING STONES – 825,278 followers RADIOHEAD – 1,573,573 followers COLDPLAY – 3,056,316 followers OASIS – 937,147 followers AMY WINEHOUSE – 821,974 followers

Having been established only 5 months, Marbella Magazine’s page has already 1,100 people connecting to it

unlimited number of fans for your brand this way.

You will need a personal account to set up a page, but it will not display your personal details, as your posts will be shown as your business alias, i.e. Blue Dragon Restaurant says... Although conversations are important for growth, on corporate pages people are not encouraged to advertise themselves and you can restrict or easily remove any posts or other items that you don’t approve of. One big advantage is that unlike groups, fan pages are visible to non-Facebookers and are found by Google and other search engines, which provides businesses with a powerful and interactive web presence to complement their more static websites.

Setting up your page is easy and you are encouraged to fill out as much information relating to your business profile as possible in order to develop your brand. The profile image can be your logo and you can upload albums of photos and other media to show off your portfolio. When you have finished, ask all your friends to suggest to their friends that they become a fan of your page, let the word spread and watch your fan numbers increase. Facebook also offers great low budget advertising options to help launch your fan page to the world.

Once established, you want to supply people with relevant news and keep your page interesting. You can link your blog to feed directly into your page

or configure your posts to appear automatically on Twitter. There are many applications that enable you to have a cracking fan page, featuring visual options, running competitions or even selling products or taking orders. The key to maintaining a successful fan page is to keep it fun! Facebookers don’t want to hear about dry business blurb.

Remember that you are tapping into their leisure time and they want to be entertained rather than bored. Ask them questions, initiate conversations and build your brand recognition across the board. In a small community this can be extremely rewarding as your business can become a ‘friend’ in peoples lives.

Some of the biggest Marbella related fanpages: Marbella – 11,457 followers Marbella 2010 – 7,478 followers I love Marbella – do you? – 2,309 followers Essential Marbella Magazine – 1,100 followers Some of the biggest fanpages in the World: Barack Obama – 6,403,120 followers Vin Diesel – 4,896,507 followers Coca-Cola – 3,469,069 followers I hate stupid people – 2,520,504 followers

*All examples of groups and pages are correct at the time of printing and may have changed since then.

THE CONFUSION (Facebook Socialites) In any community, there are always some people with thousands of friends, either for professional reasons or just simply because they are genuine socialites. In order to eliminate spamming and other illegitimate business, Facebook has created serious rules regarding your activity as a private entity. They estimate that an average person will have between 100 and 200 friends and those much above that (especially in the thousands) are carefully monitored. Facebook has groups and pages to accommodate businesses and other large scale users and it has been known to close down personal accounts that were suspected of solely comercial activity or other abuse. With security settings that are tricky to operate, people get confused as to who sees what. For example, when you become a friend of a person with thousands of contacts you can actively make yourself ‘public’ without realising it. If you have a friend like that, it’s best to block the ‘friends of friends’ option in your settings and set the privacy of each of your photo albums and also that of your wall accordingly. n

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THETREND ENVIRONMENT

Report victoria wood

What is Earth Hour?

E LI GHT

R U O H H T EAR THR

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Climate change is obviously a global threat; it does not focus on one continent or ocean. However, since the talks in Copenhagen, people in many countries that are actually feeling the changes right now are disheartened and angry that world leaders do not want to take responsibility, much less immediate action. There is no time for debate or future ideas, they say; this is happening right now and action must be taken.

For Earth Hour 2010, over 125 countries participated which is an increase of 50 per cent over 2009. A total of 56 capital cities took part, which included eight out of the 10 most populated places on the planet. Earth Hour became one of the most talked about, Twittered and online buzz-events of the year.

The more noise that people make about an issue, the more attention it will receive from global leaders. If we sit back and wait for them to take action alone we could be waiting until it is far too late; if we shout from the rooftops globally, once a year, to show how strongly the whole world feels about environmental issues, then we surely can not be ignored. It is a worldwide demand for action and there must be a reaction.

Earth Hour is a symbol of the power of the people and an analogy of how we can arrive at a solution. We switch off lights all over the world and the world leaders switch on their commitment to reducing emissions. It works.

We must also not forget that the whole purpose is not just to create awareness among our leaders but also to remind ordinary folk that we must live in a more eco-friendly way and reduce our carbon footprints. Our future demands small changes from all of us in the home: better insulation, more efficient heating, recycling, re-using, reducing, energy saving, using public transport and the products we choose to consume can all have impact on the energy we use and reduce our personal impact on our environment.

“Earth Hour is not about a world without light, power and the great human achievements that keep us warm and safe. It is absolutely a celebration of their positive role; we want a bright future in which the lights stay on, drawing on forms of energy and innovative technologies that have a lesser impact on people and nature around the world. As the 10:10 campaign has shown alongside Earth Hour, collective action can have an impact.”

OU

Why is Earth Hour so important?

DA

TH

In response to the ever-increasing problem of global climate change the people of Sydney, Australia, decided that the world needed a big nudge in the awareness department and so, after three years of intense deliberation and brainstorming, Earth Hour was born in 2007. The idea is that everywhere – homes, businesses, landmarks – lights are simultaneously switched off for one hour in an attempt to conserve our dwindling energy reserves and create global awareness of this serious world issue.

That first year, 2.2 million houses and company buildings switched off their lights for the cause. The following year, Earth Hour went global with over 50 million people in 35 countries taking part in this movement. Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Golden Gate Bridge and the Coliseum, were a few of the iconic landmarks that stood in darkness, symbolising world hope and dedication to saving our planet. Last year saw over 88 countries pushing Earth Hour to the biggest global climate change initiative.

Earth Hour is organized by WWF. With almost five million supporters and a global network in over 100 countries, it’s one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and build a future where people live in harmony with nature.

RKNE , WE SS

E E S

Get involved This year, Earth Hour took place on Saturday March 27th at 20:30-21:30 local time. The Terra Sana Life Team have been actively taking part since 2008 by hosting a special Earth Hour dining experience by candlelight, with an organic buffet using minimal power and acoustic live music. The evening was a great success, with a full restaurant of followers for whom candlelight and great live music heightened the sense of being involved in something really special. Unfortunately we noticed, when looking out over the Marbella skyline, that few other homes or businesses seemed to be taking part. Therefore we want to spread the word to get many more people involved next year. You can find out more about Earth Hour on the official website www.earthhour.org which is also full of ideas on how to get involved throughout the year.

Earth Hour is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. It’s an occasion for people from all walks of life across the world to turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.

i Victoria Wood is a member of the Terra Sana Life Team. www.terrasana.net

i www.earthhour.org

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the chic DÉCOR AND FASHION

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Décor News

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Art News

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Miss Sixty Rock Chick Fashion

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Staji: Urban City Goddess

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Fashion News

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Patricia Darch Interiors

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THECHIC DECOR

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Larus sofas by Fendi

Patricia Darch Interiors Putting on the Style From Gibraltar’s ocean-view penthouses and leafy Sotogrande’s mansion homes to chic addresses throughout Spain and overseas, the name of Patricia Darch has been synonymous with stunning home interiors for more than a quarter of a century. Now the coast’s doyenne of interior design is dressing up rooms with an exquisite new marque: Fendi Casa, a label normally associated with haute couture handbags and clothes. Belinda Beckett checked out the latest collections at Patricia’s beautiful design studio/showrooms neighbouring Sotogrande Marina to discover what fashionable homes will be Photography KH Photography wearing this season.

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Ice Lamp hanging light by Fendi

White glass vase by Abhika Black leather decorative cushion by Fendi

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atricia Darch has built her reputation on the close personal relationship she shares with her clients, working alongside them to turn their dreams into stylish reality with painstaking attention to detail. However, one couple in a hurry spent just 30 minutes looking round her exquisite showrooms before handing over the keys to their new three-bedroom property, virtually writing her a blank cheque to paint, decorate and furnish it inside and out.

Patricia’s Sotogrande shop window has been a similar source of inspiration to countless clients casting around for the perfect look to complete their Costa del Sol lifestyles. Showcasing luxurious furniture and textile lines from top Italian and Spanish designers, nothing is cluttered; rather, clever use of light and space allows customers to appreciate the beauty of each piece of art and furniture and see instantly how it could work in their own home settings. Wander at your leisure through spaces laid out like stage sets: exquisite Murano glass candelabra hover over talking point tables flanked by sexy suede chairs with lace-up backs; long, lean sofas upholstered in softest, saddle-stitched leather cluster around shaggy silk rugs; statement mirrors, lamps and large scale art draw the eye. There’s lots of glossy black lacquer, chrome, aluminium, glass, textured woods and milk white leathers, offset by joyous splashes of primary colour: a scarlet brush stroke in a painting, a cushion cover in magenta hand-

pleated satin. Among the ingenious designs there are Glas Italia puzzle tables that stack together, a Malerba dressing table that conceals a pullout seat, a Busnelli chair in black leather piped with cream that morphs into a chaise longue.

Here, you can find limited edition designs by prestigious Italian marques (Ipe Cavalli, Axo, Porada) as well as the crème de la crème of Spanish brands (CasaDesús, Kendo, Polaris) and one-off pieces by artists of world renown, such as David Marshall who has a studio along the coast in Benahavís. There’s also a textile department with swatches of opulent curtain fabrics and wall coverings by the many companies with whom Patricia has exclusivity here (Dedar, Lizzo, Guel), priced from a pragmatic €30 to an extravagant €200 per metre. Artificial floral displays and exquisite cushion covers are also hand-made.

Even the cups holding the freshly brewed coffee that is always offered to customers are designer pieces.

More recently, an area that used to be the dance floor (the building was once a discotheque) has been dedicated to Fendi Casa, a complete furniture line boasting the same levels of detail and quality that consumers expect from the designer that gave us the baguette handbag and wraparound sunshades. Characterised by its use of the famous ‘double-F’ logo, appliquéd in leather on satin cushions or in chrome in the corner of heavenly, moleskin-smooth, silk and

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Nastro hanging light in white glass

by Andromeda

Edoardo sofa in stamped leather by Fendi

wool rugs, this top Italian company leads the way in high end luxury interior decoration focusing on impeccable quality and incredible design.

The Fendi look fits in perfectly with Patricia’s own approach to decoration both creatively and also by complementing the other brands she has been working with for many years. “I was especially honoured as Fendi headhunted me to be their agent,” says Patricia, who has the exclusive dealership for Andalucía and Gibraltar.

She flew to Milan to choose specific pieces which include pretty leather-covered ballerina tables, jaw-dropping chandeliers, sofas upholstered in plaited, stone-coloured leather and a particularly show-stopping off-white laquered table complete with revolving Lazy Susan (perfect for sushi parties) and attachable place settings in crocodile-print leather and perspex. She is shortly off on a second trip to Fendi Casa to add to her range of smaller decorative items – croc-print leather picture frames and candle holders, trays with exquisite tooled leather detailing – which are proving to be very popular, affordable gifts. This is Patricia wearing her shrewd business hat (we are, after all, in a recession) although while other companies are drawing in their horns, she has expanded her design team by two and completed four large villa projects in the first quarter of this year, a phenomenal achievement in the current climate. “Being brave and positive and refusing to take a step back by going to the lower end

of the market has paid off and we are as busy as ever, although we have to go out and look for some of the work that would normally have come in by personal recommendation.”

As Sotogrande’s leading interior decoration company for 18 years, word-of-mouth referrals keep the order book full and Patricia could be working on 15 or more projects at once – anything from reupholstering much-loved pieces of furniture to kitchen extensions, home cinema installations and full renovations, always in demand during a down-market as a way of adding value to a property until sales pick up. She has just finished the interiors for a five-bedroom villa in The Bahamas – all done remotely from Spain using the latest computer technology, demonstrating the level of trust clients invest in her, although Patricia stresses that it’s very much a team effort. She has 10 full-time staff, including PA/Office Manager Judy, three designers and two electricians and a regular network of satellite craftsmen (plumbers, carpenters, painters, landscape gardeners, even a florist who provides fresh flowers and trees for the finished look). “You need a great support network to run a business like this and we like to hang onto our good people – one of our upholsterers has worked with us from the outset,” says Patricia with pride. “A happy atmosphere is paramount and many of our clients have become close friends.”

Indeed, it’s a real family affair. Patricia’s husband

Glitter hanging light in mirror by Axo

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Arena round leather bed by Fendi

Raymond takes care of the business side, their son Nicholas handles installations, her nephew Adam, a graphic designer in London, is putting the finishing touches to the company’s new website and stepdaughters Jessica Darch and Louise Kidd, both successful artists in their own right, can tackle anything from trompe l’oeil murals to Venetian stucco wall effects.

Patricia herself is passionate about design and ran high end boutiques in Britain before emigrating to Spain 35 years ago, settling first in Torremolinos, “In the days when it was fashionable and fabulous”, later buying and renovating one of the oldest houses in Sotogrande which became her shop window. Work soon rolled in and in 1987 she and her husband completed one of their first major projects, building the Manolo Santana Raquets Club. Designing the interiors for a 22-cabin yacht in Sicily was another challenging project. With a clientele extending worldwide, she also works with the locality’s leading realtors and is currently designing the showflat for Sotogrande S.A.’s Ribera del Marlin development at the port where she also has her own showflat and, during the first four months of 2009, completed the interiors for 11 apartments. Her philosophy of putting the customer first has brought a high level of loyal repeat clients and she has refurbished one particular house for the same client three times in the last 12 years, as well as designing their London property. “We go the whole mile,” she says. “We regard first-class service as fundamental and nothing is too much trouble.”

Over the years, fashions in home design on the coast have changed radically, progressing from the grandeur of Italian marble through shabby chic simplicity to Zen-inspired concepts with copious use of wengue. The Darch design concept fuses a softer contemporary look with modern classic styles and, although rustic and rococo have no place in her overall philosophy, Patricia often throws in statement pieces from

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Olimpic round coffee tables by Fendi

Anda arm chair in leather by Ligne Roset

these and other genres to mix it up. So what’s hot now? “One feature wall covered in fabric or paper can look fabulous, or faux leather for home cinemas which helps to soundproof the walls as well as looking great. We also do a variety of wall finishes. Venetian plasterwork which is applied in several layers, then glazed, waxed and polished to a shine, is a wonderful look for kitchens and bathrooms. Rich linens are making a comeback and textures are increasingly important.

There’s also some beautiful outdoor furniture, these days, which can turn the garden into an extension of the house. Mirrors are among my favourite accessories, emphasising light and space. Something by David Marshall, whom I’ve known and admired for years, usually goes into most jobs; his aluminium pieces are so special I can’t resist.”

It’s not always necessary to spend a fortune, although you can, and Patricia has some canny, cost-saving tips for those wishing to add value to their property while waiting to sell. “Sometimes a good paint job is all that’s necessary, or opening up a space by removing a door. Artwork can make a dramatic difference but one golden rule in selling is to keep the look neutral and never over-personalise.”

Patricia adds to her collections by visiting the top furniture fairs – Milan in April, Verona in September, sometimes Paris and London too.

But for the most part, she is here at the sharp end, working with clients on a level so personal

that it extends to helping them plan their lifestyles too. “We babysit clients from start to finish if they wish, down to choosing the towels and making the beds, and we have a dossier on everything from local schools to restaurants and insurance companies to help people new to the area to settle in,” says Patricia. “When the client sees the finished project, we also provide champagne and flowers.”

Back in 2002, while working on a four-bedroom villa in Sotogrande Port, Patricia and her team were wondering whether that champagne and flowers moment would ever arrive. “The owner had planned the project as a surprise for his wife and we were due to hand over the keys that day but massive roadworks on the new motorway had put us behind schedule and, to top it all, we were sent the outdoor furniture in the wrong colour so we had to repaint every piece,” recalls Patricia. “We were down to the wire and I confess to having had a mild moment of hysteria but everyone pulled together, my husband brought in sandwiches and we finished minutes before the owner arrived. I was there to greet him, looking the picture of calm I didn’t feel and he never guessed, until I told him, how close a call it had been. That’s the kind of teamwork in action we have here!”

i

Patricia Darch Interiors, CN 340 Km 135, Torreguadiaro, Sotogrande. Tel: 956 615 350. www.interiorsinspain.com

Crystal Palace Cry hanging light by Fendi

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THECHIC

Dream Homes

by Design

The summer lounge, with sliding glass curtains, can be opened up to the elements in fine weather.

Sofas by Point, Alicante Second bedroom: Cushion fabrics by Pedroso y Osorio, lamp by Flos, table by Misen Demeure, Marbella

The fully-fitted kitchen has stylish polished granite worktops and a handy serving hatch to the lounge

ALCAZABAHILLS

DECOR NEWS

Report belinda beckett Photography KH Photography

A

lcazaba Hills reinvents the Moorish idyll of stunning architecture, contemporary to its time, woven seamlessly into the Casares countryside above Estepona Golf Club. The exclusive resort complex showcases contemporary Mediterranean architecture at its best, with low rise apartment buildings surrounded by meandering pathways and lush gardens watered by streams and cascades: a carefully-planned, secure haven where families can enjoy the authentic Andalusian lifestyle.

Wide open spaces and a high level of privacy come sociably together in unrivalled outdoor leisure facilities: a network of pools with water features, multi-functional games courts and a children’s playground, crowned by a Boutique Condo Hotel and Wellness Centre. With a resort shuttle service to the golf course, beach club and Estepona town, owners can be as private or connected as they choose.

Phase 1 of Alcazaba Hills Resort offers delightful two- and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses with spacious terraces and picture windows to capture Andalucía’s special light. All have south-facing aspects and incorporate some of the latest environmentallyfriendly features, including solar panelling and energy-saving insulation.

The new show home, decorated by Kerstin Schacht Interior Design to capitalise on the location’s ambience of tranquility, demonstrates the exquisite quality of Alcazaba Hills – dream homes by design.

Habitat white egg vase; lamp

by Pedro Peña Living room: Sofa by Treforma, Coín; sideboard and white lacquer pillbox tables by Viveti; rug by KP, Madrid

i Inge Losak, Tel: 952 937 693. info@alcazabahills.com www.alcazabahills.com Kerstin Schacht Interior Design Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 619 013 655. kerstinschacht@gmail.com

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Master bedroom: Bed by MEC, Madrid; fabrics by Pedroso y Osorio, Portugal; white glass and aluminium lamps by Foscanini, Italy; bedside tables by Viveti, Valencia

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THECHIC ART NEWS

Report Marisa CUTILLAS

Juan Béjar at the Punzmann Gallery Artist Juan Béjar’s paintings often focus on children – not the innocent, joyful state of childhood but the isolation and unhappiness felt by many in their earliest years. Art critic Annelette Hamming hit the nail on the head when she said that Béjar’s children “seem to be inexpressive, staring dolls; their ageing heads far from infantile… their rigidity arouses compassion, they have an air of sadness in their eyes and are spine-chilling!” Béjar’s works have also been described as attractive yet mournful; rich in symbolism and bearing an air of surrealism. This month, his magic can be enjoyed at the Punzmann Gallery.

i Avda. Luis Braile 4, San Pedro de Alcántara. www.punzmann-gallery.com

Horses at the Museo Picasso de Málaga For Pablo Picasso, few other animals were more inspirational in his artwork than the horse, which he used alternately as a symbol of masculinity and femininity, light and darkness, tragedy and entertainment, desire and wisdom. This month, the Museo Picasso de Málaga presents a special exhibition called Picasso Caballos, which focuses on the significance of the horse in Picasso’s works, from his childhood to his last days in Mougins, France. The exhibition brings together over 50 of Picasso’s works, from etchings to paintings and drawings.

i Palacio de Buenavista, C/ San Agustín s/n, Málaga. Tel: 952 127 600. www.museopicassomalaga.org

Juan Enrique Mendoza at the Casino Marbella The colourful, passionate world of bullfighting has always fascinated Enrique Mendoza, the artist who this month exhibits works from his latest collection at the Casino Marbella. Born in Seville, the capital of bullfighting, Mendoza studied law both at El Escorial University and in Granada, a city in which he delved further into his love of art at a school of arts and crafts.

His long and intense travels have provided him with knowledge of a variety of cultures, including those of India, Argentina, Paris, Miami, Brazil, Chile, Morocco and Dublin. Most of all, his travels have strengthened his love and respect for Spanish customs and traditions, one of the most important of which is bullfighting. This month, discover the reasons why this sometimes questionable spectacle continues to enamour so many spectators. Presentation of your DNI or passport is required for entry to the Casino.

i Hotel H10 Andalucía Plaza s/n, Marbella.

Tel: 952 814 000. www.casinomarbella.com

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TC Fotografía expands Top photography studio TC Fotografía, which recently celebrated its second anniversary, has added a spacious new gallery to its studios in the Old Town. Photographer Toni Cochrane, happy that her gallery is weathering the storm of tough economic times, puts her success down to her simple yet contemporary style. Toni specialises in maternity, baby and family portraits.

i Avda. Mercado 24, Casco Antiguo, Marbella. Tel: 952 865 509. www.tcfotografia.com

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THECHIC FASHION

Wild Thing, You Make My Heart Sing!

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Rock

Star glam

If you can think of nothing better than styling it up to look the part at your favourite rock concert, you’ll love Miss Sixty’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection, brimming over with all the rebellion, youth and sheer cheekiness associated with being a rock star. Shine on, sister!

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They Call Me The Wild Rose‌

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Goodness Gracious, Great Balls of Fire!

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Today’s Music Ain’t Got the Same Soul… I Like That Old Kind Of Rock ‘N Roll

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Stay on the Scene Like a Sex Machine!

i Miss Sixty is available at El Corte InglĂŠs and various boutiques. www.misssixty.com

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THECHIC FASHION

Hat, dress and glove Staji by Tanja Stadler

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Urban City Goddess PHOTOGRAPHY YORK HOVEST STYLE & DESIGN TANJA STADLER

This month, we bring you something different: madly original ensembles by German fashion designer, Tanja Stadler, whose brand, Staji, is hotly acclaimed by celebrities and fashion icons who like to make a statement. Tanja may only be 33, but she boasts over a decade at the helm of the alternative fashion industry in Belgium and Munich, and is the brainchild behind the Staji brand, which symbolises her unique, visionary take on fashion.

Top

Annhagen Belt

Balmain Skirt

DRKSDW by Rick Owens Jewellery

Jimmy Choo for H&M Shoes

Gianfranco Ferre

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Vest, trouser and belt Vest and skirt Staji by Tanja Stadler Jewellery Versace Shoes Rick Owens

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Staji by Tanja Stadler

Jewellery Jean-Paul Gaultier Shoes Chanel

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i www.staji.de Cashmere top

Rick Owens Lillies Top Annhagen

Skirt Karl Lagerfeld Necklace 0044 Glove Karl Lagerfeld Lace sleeve Staji Tanja Stadler Shoes Gianfranco Ferre

Feather bustier

Staji by Tanja Stadler Skirt Karl Lagerfeld Shoes Dolce & Gabbana Small jewellery Cartier

Colourstone jewellery

Jimmy Choo for H & M

photography

York Hovest www.yorkhovest.com styling

Tanja Stadler www.staji.de hair and make-up

John Elliott www.artistgroupmierau.com Model

Isabell Weiser www.major-models.de

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THECHIC FASHION NEWS

g n i Sprhas Sprung!

R eport Ma

risa CUTIL

LAS

s brings Marisa Cut-tihllaave items us the mumsost colourful for the of the year… season

t

Open toe platform booties in black by Dior

Gunmetal and Swarovski crystal necklace by Dior p

i

t

Silver and thread necklace and ribbon by b&g p

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Moonstone ring by Manuel Spinosa

b&g Available at Via Vai, Avda. de España 124, Estepona. Tel: 952 797 199. www.bygcomplementos.com Benetton At C.C. La Cañada, Upper Floore, Marbella.

Tel: 952 776 591. www.benetton.com Dior Muelle, Ribera, Casa F, Local 15B, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 906 525. www.dior.com Manuel Spinosa Avda. Miguel Cano 7, Marbella.

Tel: 952 923 077. www.spinosajewellery.com Roger M C.C. La Cañada, Local 174, Marbella.

Tel: 951 778 160. www.rogermjeweller.com

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Denim bag

by Benetton

p

Gunmetal and t Swarovski crystal ring by Dior

t

Semi-precious stone ring by Manuel Spinosa

Lambskin pouch by Dior q

Printed fabric trilby

by Benetton t

t

Diamond ring

by Roger M

p

Diamond and rose gold earrings by Roger M

p

Wedge heel sandals by Dior essential marbella magazine

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the spa BEAUT Y AND HEALTH

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The Rainbow Treatment by Young Living

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Beauty News

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The Healing Power of Music

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Health News Aria Medical Group on What’s Hot on the Beauty Scene

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“

Smile with

Confidence

A younger, brighter looking smile in just 24 hours at the Agave Clinic When you’re missing several teeth, your jawbone can shrink making you look older than you really are. A simple solution to stop and reverse this process is a dental bridge on dental implants. The 4 step procedure starts with an examination and within 24 hours temporary bridges will be placed over your implants and you can begin to smile with confidence.

After 4 months, your final bridge will be fitted and the procedure is complete.

For further information contact us today on Tel: + 34 952 864 191 Email: info@agaveclinic.com www.agaveclinic.com Av. Severo Ochoa, 24. Marbella (Next to USP Hospital)

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THESPA BEAUTY

Report Marisa CUTILLAS

Using Essential Oils for Healing, Soothing Pain and Realigning the body

D

The Raindrop Technique

id you know that many viruses and bacteria live along your spine?

These pathogens cause disease, contort and disfigure the spinal column and lead to pain, discomfort and ill health. Dr. Gary Young, Founder of Young Living Essential Oils, has devised a way to eliminate them using a powerful yet non-invasive technique that is, at times, as gentle as a feather and at others, deliciously soothing to aching muscles: it is called the Raindrop Technique.

Dr. Young developed the Raindrop Technique after an extended stay with the Lakota Indians. The latter used to migrate across the Canadian border and into the northern regions of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to witness the dazzling display of Northern Lights. Those who were ill would stand facing the lights and inhale deeply, believing that this energy passed through their spine to afflicted areas in the body through neurological pathways. When the Canadian border was set up and migration was no longer possible, the Lakotas then devised the technique of effleurage, or finger stroking, to distribute healing energy throughout the body.

Dr. Young, who is well aware of the ability of therapeutic grade essential oils to inhibit microbes and kill germs (such as staphylococcus, Bacillus and Enterobacter), discovered that the Lakota practice of effleurage, when used with essential oils, was an excellent way to eliminate harmful toxins in the body. He coupled this practice with the Vita Flex Technique: a specialised form of hand and foot massage that is highly effective in delivering the benefits of essential oils throughout the body. Originating in Tibet thousands of years ago, this technique is similar to reflexology in that it is based on the complex network of reflex points that stimulate all the internal body systems. Essential oils are applied to specific points on the foot, and energy is released throughout the body, unclogging areas hampered by toxins, damaged tissues or lack of oxygen.

I recently experienced the Raindrop Technique, and can testify to it being quite unlike traditional massage treatments. Forget rough stroking or heavy pressure; the Raindrop Technique is all about the gentle flow of energy and its powerful electrical effects. The therapist, Michelle, first asked me to lie on my back while she applied an essential oil blend known as Valor (which restores the body’s equilibrium) to my feet and

shoulders. She next held each foot with one hand and waited until she “felt an energy change”. She then applied seven different oils onto my feet (oregano, thyme, basil, cypress, wintergreen, marjoram and peppermint), performing the Vita Flex technique three times on each foot with each of the oils. This involved rolling her fingers forward along the part of the foot known as ‘the spinal reflex area’ in light, pleasurable motions that sent me into deep relaxation mode.

Following this, Michelle asked me to turn over onto my stomach while she applied oregano essential oil to my spine, feather stroking the oil upwards to awaken spinal receptors and stimulate energy centres.

The effect is akin to when your Mum used to caress you to sleep; the strokes are light and delicious enough to bring goose bumps to your entire body. Michelle also feather-stroked my spine with thyme oil, then applied basil essential oil, once again using the feather stroke technique and later gently ‘pulling’ the muscle tissue away from the spine to enable better penetration of the oils. She used many other oils, including cypress, wintergreen, marjoram and a relaxing blend called Aroma Siez, with various techniques including a circular hand massage, feather strokes, palm slides and ‘fanning’ of the fingers upwards and to the side of the spine. Finally, she applied Valor for a second time, with feathering and fanning motions.

The last part of the treatment was one of the most delicious: Michelle put her fingers behind my neck and pulled slightly, stretching the muscles and the lymphatic system, allowing the body to eliminate harmful toxins. She asked me to drink plenty of water during the next few days to help with this process.

So how did I feel post the Lakota and essential oil magic? Energetic, relaxed and tingly, as though little electrical impulses were lighting up my body with their own unseen, internal display of Northern Lights. The best thing about the Raindrop technique is that anyone can perform it at home – on their children, spouse, parents – just as the Lakota people did. The technique can also be personalised, depending on your particular health issues. Raindrop Technique is a treatment that is accessible, cost- and time-wise, to all of us. Let its healing magic take your body and mind to a new level of health and well-being. n

i

For further information, please contact Michelle Gatsby on Tel: 952 929 860/ 695 845 416. michellejulianyoungliving@gmail.com

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Facelift Blepharoplasty Rhinoplasty Otoplasty Breast lift reduction/augmentation

Dr. Kai O. Kaye

feeling good in your body means feeling good

in your mind

Labiaplasty Abdominoplasty Liposuction Thigh lift Brachioplasty

Plastic, Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgeon

Scar correction

Fellow of the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery EBOPRAS

Deep Peeling

Full Member of the German Board of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery DGPRĂ„C

Botox - Filler

Member of the Colegio de Medicos de Malaga (No.29/2909452)

Dental aesthetics

Av. Ramon y Cajal, 7 - 29600 Marbella - 951 775 518 - Mob : 670 770 455 info@oceanclinic.net - www. oceanclinic.net

THESPA BEAUTY

Report Marisa CUTILLAS

New Cologne: FlowerbyKenzo Kenzo is famed for its intense, highly exotic scents but this month, it has launched FlowerbyKenzo cologne, a light, simple fragrance fashionistas will be lining up to buy. The cologne is citric, containing bergamot, bitter orange and orange blossom. It comes in an irresistibly feminine bottle, designed

by Serge Mansau, with an irregular yet harmonious shape that’ll look great on your dressing table.

The fragrance has been designed by Alberto Morrilas, born in Seville, who claims to have received a revelation when he was 20, prompting him to become a perfumier. “Before that, I thought that nature spontaneously created these natural scents.”

i FlowerbyKenzo is available at Douglas. C.C. La Cañada. Tel: 952 829 234. www.douglas.es

Beautiful, long-lasting nails with Bio Sculpture If you’ve always longed for strong, beautiful nails that look glossy and do not chip, we suggest you try Bio Sculpture, a durable, finger-friendly gel applied in liquid form by a qualified technician. The gel is then treated under UV light to enable it to last long and look impeccably shiny. Bio Sculpture is good for your nails, too, since it moisturises and strengthens them. It also looks and feels natural, thanks to its flexible qualities and natural ingredients. Bio Gel is available in over 120 shades so you will always find the right one for each occasion. There are over 100 outlets where you can opt for this treatment.

i For further information, please call the Bio Sculpture head office on Tel: 952 929 034. www.biosculpture.es

Herb and spice treatment at the Don Carlos Leisure Resort & Spa The Don Carlos Spa has caught onto the current craze for increasing the sensory experience at spas through the use of herbs and spices in treatments. If baby soft skin is the order of the day, try the green tea body exfoliation and cap it off with a slow, relaxing cinnamon and clove massage. Green tea, known for its power to restore vitality and eliminate retained liquids, is also one of the world’s most powerful known antioxidants. Cinnamon and cloves, meanwhile, are hailed for their anti-bacterial, anti-microbial effects, their ability to improve digestion and circulation and to alleviate pain and inflammation.

i CN 340, Elviria exit, Marbella. Tel: 952 768 800. www.doncarlosresort.com

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Report Mar

Music

isa CUTILL AS

M

usic therapy is a relatively new concept, yet the power of music was recognised thousands of years ago; as far back as Plato who, over the entrance to his Academy, placed the inscription: ‘No-one may enter who does not know the Earth’s rhythm’. The ancient Hindus, meanwhile, believed that there is a core sound in the very essence of creation: the Nada Braham, which God used to create the world. Music has been eulogised in the Tibetan Book of the Dead and by Pythagoras, Lao-Tzu, Plotinus and the 13th-century Islamic writer, Rumi. In the early 19th century, the Russian Envoy Count Kayserling commissioned Bach to compose music to help him cure his insomnia. The Count had his personal musician play these compositions for him at his beck and call, and was so pleased with the results that he bestowed Bach with a lavish gift of gold.

This early interest has developed into a scientific body known as Music Therapy, a publicly reimbursable service in the USA since 1994. It is defined as, ‘the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualised goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentiated professional who has completed an approved music therapy programme’. The first music therapy degree was offered at Michigan State University over 15 years ago.

So how does music affect our physical and mental state? Musicologist David Tame explains: “There is scarcely a single function of the body that cannot be affected by musical tones. The roots of the auditory nerves are more widely distributed and possess more extensive connections than those of any other nerves in the body. Research has shown that music affects digestion, internal secretions, circulation, nutrition and respiration. Even the neural networks of the brain have been found to be sensitive to harmonic principles.”

According to Tame, music affects our cells and organs directly and indirectly, by altering our emotions, which then influence bodily processes.

Music therapists currently use music to help children, adolescents, the elderly (especially those with Alzheimer’s), those with drug problems, learning disabilities, brain injuries, stress-related medical issues and acute and chronic pain. In some hospitals, it is used to alleviate pain in conjunction with anaesthesia.

The following are some of the most positive effects of music: u Music stimulates brainwaves to resonate in time with the beat, with faster beats promoting

sharper concentration and slower rhythms promoting a meditative state. This enables the brain to shift speeds more easily, even after the listening session. u Music can reduce the need for pain relievers during surgery. u Music can lower the breathing and heart rate, leading to relaxation. u Music can combat depression, increase creativity and ease anxiety. u Music can decrease the incidence of strokes and heart conditions by lowering blood pressure, boosting immunity, easing muscle tension, etc.

a beautiful “Almost everybody enjoys e brain, priming melody. It takes root in th g passions, the imagination, arousiniring the body to sp sedating anxieties and in who is born deaf rs move in rhythm. A pe on te can still learn to and had never heard a novibrations of music.” dance by feeling the k Musician Roland Kotula

Evidence for the above is plentiful: u The Annamalai University of India has conducted studies showing that plants grow at twice their normal

speed when exposed to classical music. Most interestingly, later generations of the seeds of musically stimulated plants also produce greater size and more leaves, because music alters their chromosomes! u Patients with osteoarthritis suffer less pain following music therapy. u Those suffering from depression require less medication when music is added to their treatment programmes. u A special type of music therapy called Musical Resonance Therapy (MRT) is said to ‘re-set the biological order and harmonise and regenerate the whole body’, making it ideal for the prevention of disease. MRT is successfully used to treat mothers undergoing high-risk pregnancies and has reduced the number of interrupted pregnancies in controlled groups by half. These women also experienced less pain, a reduced labour time and less anxiety, while the heart activity of their foetuses increased healthily.

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So, what music should we listen to heal ourselves? Therapists agree that this is a very difficult question to answer, since it depends on personal preferences. In general, to manage stress, music from the Baroque period is ideal since it promotes similar brain activity to that achieved in meditation.

Chill-out music has also been found to effectively reduce stress.

We recommend the following: Albinoni, Bach, Brahms, Haydn, Mozart, Pachelbel, Telemann and Vivaldi. Top New Age Music composers include Alex De Grassi, David Lanz, Enya, Mike Oldfield and David Benoit. n

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THESPA HEALTH

Report Marisa CUTILLAS

New Consumers Guide by Greenpeace Many of us are worried by the proliferation of GM (genetically modified) substances in the products we buy daily, since many items at local supermarkets do not contain sufficient information about these substances. Greenpeace has published an online guide called Guía Rojo y Verde which places common supermarket goods into two lists: green or red. Items in the green column include all goods that do not contain GM ingredients, while those in the red column either contain GM substances or are made by companies which have not provided Greenpeace with the relevant information. Items covered in the list include everything from milk brands for babies right through to oils and margarines, rice and breakfast cereals. To download your own copy, log onto www.greenpeace.org

Organic fruit and veggies at your doorstep

If you’re always intending to pay a visit to a local market for organic produce but are pressed for time, why not have the market come to you? Eco-Marbella makes it all possible, bringing you seasonal, fresh produce to your front door. Select from a wide list of fruit and veg, cheeses and fresh, organic meats and even ecological pet food. Buying food from Eco-Marbella has many advantages over making various trips to the supermaret, including: u Lowering your carbon footprint: The items are transported using eco-fuelled vehicles. u The produce is tastier: You’ll be surprised how good an organic tomato or pumpkin can taste. You’ve got to savour it to believe it. u The produce is fresh, retaining many of its original vitamins. u Fruit and veg are pesticide-free and chemical-free. u Organic produce is strictly controlled by government agencies. u Prices are comparable to what you would spend at an ordinary supermarket.

i www.ecomarbella.blogspot.com

Fructose is even worse than glucose!

‘A calorie is a calorie’, many say, thinking that when it comes to sweeteners it doesn’t matter whether you consume glucose, fructose or sugar-free natural sweeteners like stevia; what matters is the number of calories in a spoon.

Studies are indicating, however, that products made with high-fructose corn syrup are highly dangerous. Not only does fructose have the same negative effects on the body as glucose (causing problems such as insulin resistance, obesity, elevated ‘bad cholesterol’ levels, liver disease, cancer, etc.), it has an added negative effect. After eating fructose, the liver metabolises 100 per cent of it, putting a great strain on this organ. When glucose is consumed, the liver only has to do 20 per cent of the work. Many of us erroneously believe that most of the foods we buy contain glucose, yet an alarming 55 per cent of sweeteners used in the production of food and beverages are made from corn (fructose). Soft drinks are a big culprit, as are many so-called ‘diet foods’, biscuits, yoghurts and even cereals.

Glucose is also easier to metabolise, since all cells in the body use glucose for energy. Fructose, on the contrary, is metabolised into free fatty acids, cholesterol and triglycerides. Fatty acids harm your liver and muscle tissue, leading to insulin resistance and even Type II diabetes. If you want to play it safe, follow these tips: u Use stevia, a natural sweetener made from herbs and available at most health food shops. u If you must use sugar, opt for organic cane sugar. Organic raw honey is another intelligent choice. u Stay away from artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, which are even worse for your health than sugar. u Check out the sugar levels in so-called ‘energy drinks’ and ‘sports drinks’, which often contain high amounts of sodium, sugar and chemicals. Opt for filtered or bottled water instead.

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THESPA HEALTH

PHOTOGRAPHY Courtesy of the Aria Medical Group

O

ne of the buzzwords on the cosmetic surgery scene at the moment is the Aria Medical Group, the clinic founded by Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Marco Vricella. Trained in Italy and New York, and renowned both in England and Spain where he performs surgical and non-surgical procedures that restore confidence, harmony and beauty, he is a reputed expert at turning back the hands of time and giving new meaning to the words ‘natural looking’. In this, he is joined by Louise Truelove, Head Patient Co-ordinator (the first ‘face’ clients normally see), whose charisma and warmth are welcome qualities in any medical field. The third powerhouse of Aria is Damien Moore, a Specialist Nurse and Physiologist with an impressive background that includes experience in Dublin and London, where he has worked both

Marisa Cutillas interviews Dr. Marco Vricella of the Aria Medical Group

as a specialist nurse, senior lecturer in physiology and clinical advisor.

All members of the team boast experience at top clinics overseas and in Spain. Their aim is to provide pampering, the kind, in Dr. Vricella’s words, “that private practices cannot afford because they are too small, and which larger companies often fail to give because they need to make numbers”.

The idea is to constantly be by the patient’s side, 24 hours a day if necessary. Opting for Aria is like choosing a luxury boutique hotel. It is the best way to feel at home and accompanied step by step, from the pre-operative to post-operative stages.

Patients are operated on by one surgeon and seen by the same surgeon throughout. Dr. Vricella gives us his insight on the latest trends in aesthetic medicine.

u Surgery performed too soon or too

late: Says Dr. Vricella, “If it’s too early it isn’t worth going through surgery. If it’s too late, the change can be too dramatic or the patient’s expectations might be too high. Surgery needs to be tailored to every patient. Often, a person’s legal age does not correspond to their biological age. I recently saw a 70-year-old woman who was a good candidate for a facelift because she looks good for her age; her biological age is around 10 years less than her ‘real’ age. This same lady would not have been a good candidate for a facelift 15 years ago. What is hot is doing a procedure at the right time for a particular patient.” u Breast implants in biologically older women: “Skin can lack elasticity at advanced ages. I always say to my patients, ‘Think 10 years ahead from now and think how you would like your breasts to look like then’”. u Breast implants which are too big. u Facelifts which pull the skin back too much and leave an artificial look. u Huge lips: “These look artificial. It is now hot to enhance lips by making them look as natural as possible.”

Cosmetic Surgery Scene

What’s Hot

What’s Not Hot

What’s Hot and What’s Not on the

u Axillary breast augmentations: “The incision is made

through the armpit so no scars are visible. This is particularly popular in areas where people go to the beach all year round, and going topless is de rigueur.” u Buttocks implants: “This has been highly popular in South America for many years. In Mediterranean countries, women tend to have curvier buttocks but this is not the case for many Northern European women, who are opting for this surgery in increasing numbers.” u Radical body change: “This procedure is ideal for those who are very overweight. First the patient is fitted with a gastric band or balloon. Once they lose a significant amount of weight we can perform abdominal and breast surgery or do an arm and thigh lift. For arm lifts, we hide scars as much as possible, locating them in the interior of the arm.” u Intimate surgery: “Many women would like to have their labia reshaped, especially after having children. It makes them feel younger and more secure and this procedure is easily taken care of.” u Soft facelifts: “We focus only on the face and neck. Recovery is much quicker, since the patient can resume normal life in seven to 10 days.” A soft facelift involves removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles, and re-draping the skin of the face and neck. n

i

The Aria Medical Group operates in Marbella, Gibraltar and Madrid. Dr. Vricella also continues to attend to patients in England.

Centro Peninsula 8, Camojan, Marbella. Tel: 952 895 088. www.ariamedicalgroup.com info@ariamedicalgroup.com

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the vibe

WHAT’S BUZZING

essential magazine has been out and about all month

following the most important and glamorous events taking place in the Marbella area. From car launches through tennis championships to charity galas we bring you the latest happenings. Did you miss out this month, or can you spot yourself?

Guarnieri BMW 5 Series Launch

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Suite Celebrates its 7th Anniversary

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Star-studded Gala at Incosol for Children for Peace

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AndalucĂ­a Tennis Experience at Puente Romano

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Make a Wish for La Casita Gala at La Meridiana

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Emily Ash Gala at Hotel Villa Padierna

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M GUARNIERI SHOWROO

SAN PEDRO

BMW SERIES 5 LAUNCH

car lovers came together le who’s who of Marbella itab ver a as nd h hig s wa Anticipation Pedro to unveil the bra s installations in San iou stig pre the ’s W, ieri arn BM Gu from at Mario this latest offering celebrate the beauty of by leading new BMW Series 5. To g 5 unique works of art yin pla dis ed into a gallery Laude from s Cat al sic showroom was transform mu t members from the cas the of l era Sev . sts Spanish arti prise appearance.

School also made a sur

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ke a powerful Art and performance ma Guarnieri ro ed P n a S r fo on ti a n bi com

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SUITE, HOTEL PUENTE

ROMANO

R A NIGHT OF PURPLE GLAMOU

7th no recently celebrated its at the Hotel Puente Roma ht nig the ced Popular nightspot Suite dan s ty. Guest rous purple themed par apés can us icio anniversary with a glamo del d oye enj they and chic creations as s Henry. away in fabulous, fun nce classics by Thoma Pri of e anc form per live a to ted trea re we and

nny Gates PHOTOGR APH Y Joh bella.com mar w.iww from to download your pho

celebrations e gn pa m a ch & er w po le Purp bash at Suite’s 7th Anniversary

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HOTEL INCOSOL

STAR STUDDED GALA bster were just a few of ashoggi and Stephen We en Ana Obregón, Adnan Kh ning in support of Childr nded a glittering Gala eve many ts por the celebrities who atte sup rity cha g l Hotel. This hard workin for Peace at the Incoso world. The Mayoress, g children around the pin of worthwhile causes hel s joined by the cream nded the event and wa ds. Ángeles Muñoz also atte fun ch needed ing awareness and mu Marbella society in rais

nny Gates PHOTOGR APH Y Joh bella.com mar w.iww from to download your pho

lebrities A star-studded night of ce dren for peace’ and high society for ‘chil

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IS CLUB

PUENTE ROMANO TENN

RIENCE WTA ANDALUCÍA TENNIS EXPE

the second edition of nis Club played host to Ten no ma Ro e ny ent Pu In April, tors were treated to ma nce tournament. Specta erie Exp nis nis ten Ten n A me WT wo the world’s best between some of the and competitive matches netta, Maria Kirilenko Pen via Fla rs, Kim Clijste netta Pen ian Ital professionals including ed tch wa s court was packed as fan t Carla Suárez. The centre ting over 2 hours agains hotly contested final las and win the title in a tense finishing 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

Spanish Carla Suárez, nny Gates PHOTOGR APH Y Joh bella.com mar w.iww from to download your pho

the WTA ‘Game set and match’ at nce Andalucía Tennis Experie

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IANA

RESTAURANT LA MERID

MAKE A WISH FOR LA CASITA

of organised by a group d a fantastic gala event me Ho s en´ ildr The Wish List Fund hel Ch ita La Cas rbella to raise funds for committed mums in Ma renovate and redecorate to t jec pro a g kin erta und g in Málaga where they are gic, music and dancin ma of enjoyed an evening lla rbe Ma n now the bedrooms. Guests eral well-k l of nearly €12.000. Sev that raised a fantastic tota kely, Maurice Boland Sze a stin Kri , ñoz Ángeles Mu personalities including ported the evening. and Saeko Hamada sup nny Gates PHOTOGR APH Y Joh bella.com mar w.iww from to download your pho

Fairy Godmother for improvment Málaga children’s home

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HOTEL VILLA PADIERNA

EMILY ASH GALA

stunning Ash Trust was held in the h Ball in aid of the Emily black tie s rou mo gla The 2nd annual Spanis this in Marbella. Headlining a iern Pad a Vill to tel Ho setting of the all the way from the UK who was forced to drive rs Mu Olly d s oye tor’ enj Fac X sts s event wa ts off to Olly! While gue aviation grounding. Ha the st of tru e ed aus bas bec UK nd, the atte 00 in aid of ball raised over €30.0 suffering a fabulous evening, the ldren and young adults chi of s live the e rov imp to is aim whose primary with cancer. nny Gates PHOTOGR APH Y Joh bella.com mar w.iww from to download your pho

ests Olly Murs & glamorous gu e children th r fo 0 0 .0 0 3 € er ov e is ra

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Enterprise

THEPRO

BUSINESS

Report Marisa Cutillas

The Queen Acknowledges the Costa del Sol’s Help Haiti Campagin Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth has sent her best wishes for the continued success of the Costa del Sol’s fundraising efforts for Haiti. A letter received from Buckingham Palace reads: “Her Majesty was interested to learn that the British expatriate community in the Costa del Sol have raised over €20.000 for the Haiti Earthquake Fund… Her Majesty conveys warm good wishes to you and all concerned.” Some of these charity incentives included a number of lavish galas, as well as the single, The Prayer, profits from which went to the devastated families in Haiti. Many excellent local singers took part in the latter, including Stephen Lloyd-Morgan, Rebecca Tate, Nicholas Pound, Arran Harding and Tom Lowe. The single is available

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on i-Tunes.

Nikki Beach Summer Magic SAVE THE DATES Just about the best way to gauge the arrival of the spring/summer season is the opening of Nikki Beach. The luxury beach club has been open since April and has many fantastic events lined up for those who like to party in style. Highlights for the month of May include: May 2: First Amazing Sunday, featuring chilled house music by top DJs, dancers, saxophonists, violin player, drummers and champagne spraying.

May 27: Grand Opening White Party.

May 28: Hawaiian party featuring native dancers, exotic cocktails and top DJ-spun music.

May 28-30: May Grand Opening Weekend.

May 29: Moroccan Charm Party The dates above are subject to change. Regular mojito parties will also take place during the season and of course, savour the best of David Farber’s international cuisine, including sushi sensations.

If you prefer to party at home, the good news is that Nikki Beach now has a catering service so you can wow your guests with world class cuisine and party delicacies, prepared by Nikki Beach Chefs in your very own kitchen. DJs, go-gos and musicians can also be arranged.

Playa Don Carlos, Marbella. Tel: 952 836 239.

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www.nikkibeach.com

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Ocean Club White and Silver Opening Party Ocean Club has just celebrated the start of the summer 2010 season with its spectacular White and Silver party, attended by over 1,000 guests including visitors from Europe and the United States. A memorable evening was enjoyed by everyone, who marvelled at the original performances by the group, Sintonizar. Ocean Club is currently working on an exciting calendar of events, though they have already confirmed that on the last Sunday of every month, they will host a fantastic champagne party, and that Head Chef, Stephane Bruylant’s menu has already been finalised. Delights include Belgian specialities, sushi and a host of fusion and international dishes.

Avda. Lola Flores s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 908 137. www.oceanclub.es

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SPANISH KING INNAGURATES Málaga airport’s new T3 terminal The King and Queen of Spain recently inaugurated the new T3 terminal at Málaga airport, a structure built to accommodate the increasing number of visitors travelling to and from the coast. The terminal, which measures 270,000m2, was designed by architect Bruce Fairbanks who has opted for a modern style where metal and glass play the leading roles. The new terminal has created 50,000 new jobs, which is welcome news in these tough financial times. The task is not over, with work still being carried out on a new runway, which will enable 600 planes to land at the airport every day. The works will be completed by 2011.

García Morató s/n, Málaga. Tel: 902 404 *704.Avda. www.aena.es

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UP TO DATE WITH KEMPINSKI at www.kempinski-timeout.com

If the Kempinski is one of your favourite hotels and you’d like to keep posted on news, offers and events, log onto their new online publication, where you will find a host of interesting information. Their first issue included news on spa offers, honeymoon packages and gastronomic delights and, best of all, the information comes in English, German and Spanish.

* www.kempinski-timeout.com Fundación Cesare ScarIolo holds three events for needy children

The Fundación Cesare Scariolo, a charity founded to help the children in the Hospital Materno-Infantil de Málaga, is holding three events this summer to raise funds for ill children and their families. The first is a paddle tennis tournament at the Club de Tenis & Padel Nueva Alcántara, which will take place from June 4 to 6. The fee to join is only €20 (€18 for Club Members). The second event is a summer gala, to be held on June 26 in the gardens of the Hotel Meliá Don Pepe. Dani García will delight guests with his nouvelle cuisine and many stars will attend, including Miss España 2006, Elisabeth Reyes. Tickets cost €150. Lastly, golfers will do their share for a good cause at the X Torneo de Golf Gómez y Molina, which will take place on August 9 at La Quinta Golf. The prize ceremony will be held a few days later, on August 14, at a ceremony which will include a charity auction.

To sign up for any of these events, send an

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e-mail to relacionesinstitucionales@cesarescariolo.org

David Cameron

interviewed by Maurice Boland Maurice Boland of Talk Radio Europe recently interviewed the leader of the British Conservative Party, David Cameron. Boland was his usual sincere self, asking Cameron questions such as what he thinks of the fact that Gordon Brown has called him a “salesman”. Cameron replied, “I think we actually need some salesmanship. We need to get out there and help sell British business, services and products around the world, targeting markets such as China and India, instead of borrowing money from China so we can buy cheap Chinese goods.” Cameron spoke of some of his main targets, which include education, creating more roles for women and ethnic minorities in the Conservative party, and controlling immigration. He promises three things: 1. To freeze council tax for two years. 2. To help the economy grow. 3.

To address Britain’s ‘broken society’, including teen pregnancies, violence, etc. “I hope to turn England into the most family friendly country in Europe,” he said. To find out more, log onto www.dontleaveyourvoteathome.com

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Marbella Fashion Week

BE A PART OF MARBELLA’S FIRST CATWALK FRENZY An exciting event organised by Susie Kiddle and Ian Proetta is set to bring the eye on fashion to Marbella. The Marbella Fashion Week (MFW) will take place from June 4 to 6, at Puerto Banús. A gated tent will house a stage and a long, sleek runway, which will feature the latest collections from both national and international designers, with VIP areas for sponsors and special guests to relax, mingle with designers and celebrities and enjoy complimentary food and drink. Around the tent there will be individual stands for designers and fashion-related businesses who will be able to advertise and sell their products and services. One of the stands will be the MFW ticket office, which will provide information and tickets for the event. Live entertainment, bars, food stations and music by top DJs will add life to the event. MFW plans to support a different local charity every year, this year helping Debra Spain, a charity raising funds for those with Butterfly Skin disease. Sponsor packages and advertising opportunities are available for those seeking to be part of the event. Tickets will also be available at the Target Models offices.

Tel: 952 887 632/ info@marbellafashionweek.es

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Dani García

new Ambassador of Marbella Marbella City Council is pleased to announce its new Ambassador: Michelin-starred chef Dani García, who was recently awarded his new title by Mayoress Ángeles Muñoz in the presence of friends, family, politicians and members of the press. Dani, who boasts outstanding achievements in the gastronomic sphere, was hailed by Muñoz as “professional and humane”, and the chef in turn vowed to promote Marbella as a tourist area without par. www.marbella.es

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Massage Beach

Helping You Look After Your Body Massage Beach is a franchise started by Englishmen Ben Michael and Matthew Kift in 2005, which is now successfully running in Ibiza, Austria and Switzerland, and soon to be established in London.

Abigail, who launched the business locally on May 1, has hired a staff of highly qualified therapists and uses top quality products such as Phytomer and OPI. Massage Beach offers a range of treatments, including Swedish massage, Indian head massage, deep tissue and sports massage, facials, manicures and pedicures (by appointment) at a number of venues, including Princess Studios, Plaza Beach, Park Plaza Suites Hotel, Bonos Beach, The Sisu Boutique Hotel, Coral Beach Hotel Apartments, Palm Beach Chiringuito and Bikini Beach in Estepona. Abigail’s team will be offering massages at night time, Sintillate Parties on weekends, as well as at Tibv, Pangea and Nikki Beach. They also offer a mobile service for individual treatments and packages in your own home or holiday accommodation.

* Tel: 695 801 179. www.massagebeach.com

The Hotel Villa Padierna supports Earth Hour

The Hotel Villa Padierna recently took part in Earth Hour, the energy-saving event organised by the World Wildlife Fund, participated in by over one million people and 6,000 cities around the world. The hotel turned off all the lights on its façade for one hour as a symbol of its disagreement with the outcome of the Copenhagen Climate Summit, which has disappointed many in its resolutions. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is currently running a programme called Give Back Getaway, whose main aim is environmental and social responsibility.

* Tel: 952 889 150. www.hotelvillapadierna.com

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ESSENTIALS 1-1 new:Maquetación 1 12/01/2010 13:51 Page 1

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DANISH

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The editorial backbone of our publications is based on current events, news, reviews, politics and finance, while other sections cover in-depth and topical information on subjects that concern readers living in Spain. We also offer refreshing and interesting features on health, food and wine, sport, travel and décor, designed for the many Scandinavian-speaking residents and visitors to southern Spain.

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Exquisite crystal by EMESHEL now at El Corte Inglés

Emeshel, the Hungarian artist known around the world for her stunning hand-made crystal designs, has joined forces with El Corte Inglés, which is now stocking some of the designer’s exquisite pieces. Emeshel, who merges high quality crystal and superb aesthetics, has been interested in crystal since she was just a little girl, when she became transfixed by her parents’ sparkling crystal collection. Emeshel produces a impressive array of glassware, jewellery and sculpture, and she has launched a new range of perfumes. She uses the highest quality crystal, ensuring purity, flawlessness, exquisite craftsmanship and beauty, with each piece telling its own story.

El Corte Inglés, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 909 990. www.elcorteingles.es

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9th Alzheimer’s Gala

at the Hotel H10 Andalucía Plaza The Asociación de Familiares de enfermos de Alzheimer y Otras Demencias de Marbella recently held their 9th gala dinner at the Hotel H10 Andalucía Plaza. Funds raised went towards an important cause: improving the facilities at the Nieves Barranco Day Centre. The gala was attended by members of the business community as well as the Mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz.

C/ José Manuel Vallés 5, Marbella. Tel: 951 057 120. www.afafuenmi.org

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First Isdabe Golf Tournament at Atalaya Golf and Country Club

A.E.A.

Annual EnTREpreneur Assembly

The Complejo Residencial de las Cajas de Ahorros (ISDABE) is organising the first of what promises to be many annual golf tournaments, attracting players from a number of cities in Spain including Bilbao, Galicia, Segovia, Zaragoza, Alicante and many others. The Stableford tournament will take place from May 2 to 7 at the Atalaya Golf and Country Club in Estepona.

The main sponsors will be Cajas de España and the ISDABE residential complex. Prizes will be awarded by golf equipment manufacturers, Srixon.

Ctra. de Benahavís km. 0,7, Estepona. Tel:

952 882 812. www.atalaya-golf.com

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The Marbella City Council recently held the Annual Entrepreneur Assembly at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Marbella, with the aim of integrating local and international business and expanding the growth prospect of the Costa del Sol. Earlier this year, the City Council launched the Think Tank Advisory Group, whose purpose is to explore new business opportunities and promote local trade. The group comprises representatives from foreign business organisations such as the British Chamber of Commerce, the German-American Club and the Dutch Business Club, as well as individual entrepreneurs. At the Assembly, the Mayoress of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, discussed strategic planning in Marbella, including topics such as the General Urban Development Plan. Other talks focused on the Tourism Consortium and Foreign Business Associations and the Marbella Open City project www.marbella.es

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Stagecoach

shines in Marbella Over 150 children from three Stagecoach schools in Spain and Gibraltar recently showed off their singing, dancing and acting talents at the Marbella Civic Theatre. The children, aged four to 16, performed numbers from musicals and films including West Side Story, Annie, Wicked and Sister Act. The show also featured a performance by Arran Harding, who sang the Michael Bublé hit, I Just Haven’t Met You Yet. Students from the Gibraltar Stagecoach school delighted the audience for a full 15 minutes with a splendid tribute to Michael Jackson, which encompassed both singing and dancing. Stagecoach aims to stretch the imagination of its young performers without any pressure.

On the coast there are two schools: one in Fuengirola and another in Marbella.

Laude San Pedro

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International College, Urb. Nueva Alcántara, Marbella. Tel: 952 900 453. www.stagecoach.co.uk

Marbella Flamenco Fashion Fair First edition

Seville’s April fair has been and gone but there are many upcoming fairs where you can show off your traje de flamenca, complete with polka dots, frills and all the colours associated with Spain’s most beautiful national dress. Find the dress of your dreams at the first edition of the Marbella Flamenco Fashion Fair, which will take place from April 30 to May 2 at the town’s Palacio de Ferias y Congresos.

Enjoy the latest collections from an array of top designers, including Carmen Piedra, Luchi Cabrera, Aurora Gaviño, Juana Martin, Ester Peláez and Melisa Lozano, as well as many stands featuring beautiful accessories.

For

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tickets and further information, Tel: 952 243 815. www. marbellaflamenca.com

Suave

Fabulous Fashion Show Trendy café, Suave in Fuengirola, recently held a funfilled fashion show featuring adult and children’s fashion, presented by Chrissie from Spectrum FM. Guests sipped cava and enjoyed tasty hors d’oeuvres while listening to live music by Joost Jong and Helena Paul, and marvelled at the wonderful jewellery from Kool Jewels. The models, from Fotoclip International, had their hair and make-up done by David Glen Hairdressing, while the fashion was provided by Damaris Novios, Las Divas and Viggo. Trendsetting children’s fashion boutique, Mi Perla, also shone at the event, with pint-sized models strutting their stuff in colourful, modern outfits that looked as comfy as they were chic.

Paseo Marítimo, Los Boliches, Fuengirola.

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Tel: 637 730 359

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Da Bruno’s

First Paddle Tennis and Tennis Open The First Da Bruno Paddle Tennis and Tennis Open was a great success, with over 120 competitors battling for victory at the Club de Padel & Tenis de Nueva Alcántara. Winners included Fran Ramírez, Alex Ruiz, Inma Gómez, Irene Marín, Rocío González and Sebastian Cichero. Bruno Filipone was present to award the prizes to the deserving winners and to show his support for sport and fitness in Marbella. www.dabruno.com

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Maurice Boland

at Rotary International Guadalmina meeting The recently launched English-speaking Rotary International Club Guadalmina, invited Talk Radio Europe Director and presenter, Maurice Boland, to talk about his many charity involvements and how he has helped to raise vast amounts for the less fortunate through gala events, high profile auctions and raffles, with the support of corporations, celebrities and local businesses. The new Rotary Club is keen to host a charity event and raise funds for Cudeca at the end of May. www.rotaryspain.org

/ juliamulgrew@hotmail.com

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Gratitude Art

at Bookworld España Positive thinkers along the Costa del Sol are invited to attend the lauch of Gratitude Art at Bookworld España, Puerto Banús, on May 15 at 1pm, to help bring health, wealth and happiness into their lives. Gratitude Art is the brainchild of local company Director and self-development aficionado Line Lyster (of Redline), who has created a range of gifts, canvases, greeting cards and mugs which relate to the law of attraction and the power of positive thought. This encourages us to send positive vibes out to the universe and to be grateful every day for what we have. This, in turn, attracts all the good things we have always wished for.

Areces, Edif. Marina Banús 1/2 Local 15, Puerto *Banús.C/Ramon Tel: 952 816 084. www.gratitudeart.es

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Holiday World

receives the Gold Crown from RCI The Holiday World Group Peñarroya is pleased to have received the ‘Gold Crown’ distinction from Resort Condominiums International (RCI). RCI gives three different prizes yearly: the Gold Crown, the International Distinction Prize and the Prize for Hospitality, the Gold Crown being the most sought after of the three. RCI carries out frequent inspections throughout the year, taking into account factors such as hospitality, cleanliness, client service, maintenance, etc. Holiday World boasts the spectacular Hotel Village in Benalmádena, with three other hotels on the Costa del Sol

340, exit 211, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 *579 700.CN www.holidayworld.es

Networking Bureau Seminar at CIO Mijas

CADE Marbella, the Malaga Chamber of Commerce and Unicaja recently held an interesting seminar at the CIO Mijas school focusing on starting a business in Andalucía or expanding current activities. The event included a series of presentations, including speeches titled: ‘Think outside the box – Expand your business beyond your local community’, by Laura Stanbridge, ‘How to beat the crisis’, by Joao Alves and ‘Grow your business through networking’, by Dave Edwards. The talks were followed by a round table discussion, which included the participation of various groups, including 4Business, Women in Business, the British Chamber of Commerce, Business First and BNI.

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Avda. Ricardo Soriano 66, Marbella. Tel: 951 270 201. www.andaluciaemprende.es

Hotel Guadalmina

re-opens with new management The Hotel Guadalmina recently celebrated its official re-opening, following a four-month closure in the low season. The new Director, Fernando Al-Farkh García, who boasts extensive experience in hotel management at National and International levels, is pleased to hold the reins of a hotel that is over 60 years old. Sr. Al-Farkh García plans on enforcing a new, global strategy based on innovative commerce, improved services and installations, with new avenues of promotion and marketing. At the official celebration, important members of the Andalusian political scene turned up to show their support, including the Mayoress of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, the Delegate for Tourism, Commerce and Sports of the Junta de Andalucía in Málaga, Antonio Souvirón, and the President of AEHCOS, José Carlos Escribano.

Tel: 952 888 080. www.hotelguadalmina.com

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Absolute Tennis 2010 Tournament at the Hotel Don Carlos Tennis and Sports Club

The Don Carlos Tennis and Sports Club and the Federación Andaluza de Tenis are proud to host, for the second year in a row, the Absolute Tennis 2010 Tournament, which will take place from May 27 to May 30. Over 32 adult players ranked within the top 500 in the world will take part, including David Canudas (winner of various National and International ITF tournaments) and Daniel Monedero, winner of the Absolute 2009 competition. The scene of the action will be the four clay courts of the Don Carlos Tennis Club, with the semi-finals scheduled for May 29 and the final for May 30. There will also be special clinics for children and adults wishing to improve their skills.

Avda. Zurita s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 768 800. www.doncarlosresort.com

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MIT

New bilingual school in Málaga Málaga Institute of Technology (MIT) is a new bilingual school for primary and secondary students (up to and including Bachillerato level), set to open in September. The school will offer an innovative, multi-lingual approach to education and the latest technological advances (including intelligent blackboards, virtual reality, tablet PCs, etc). A wide range of extra-curricular activities will also be available, including horse riding, golf, aikido, paddle tennis, tennis, theatre, film making, etc. Scholarships will be awarded to those with excellent academic achievements.

Parque

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Tecnológico de Andalucía, C/ Severo Ochoa 63, Campanillas, Málaga. Tel: 620 729 868. www.colegiomit.com

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Hilú Medical Centre opens in Marbella

Renowned Doctor, Raymond Hilú, a specialist in areas such as cellular medicine, CRA cellular reflex analysis and clinical microscopy, has just opened the Centro Médico Hilú in Marbella. The clinic will focus on a variety of medical disciplines, including general medicine and paediatrics, cellular medicine, dentistry, anti-ageing, advanced aesthetic medicine, dermatology, nutrition, diabetes, gynaecology and urology, internal medicine, digestive medicine, traumatology, psychology, and ear, nose and throat medicine.

Avda. Playas del Duque s/n,

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Edif. Casa Sevilla, Locales 1-2, Marbella. Tel: 952 907 777.

British School of Marbella opens for school year 2010-2011

Marbella is known for its top offering of international schools and interestingly, the demand for British schools has increased, prompting the opening of the British School of Marbella, which will commence its activities in the 2010-2011 school year. The school, which will begin teaching children aged two to six, follows the British National Curriculum and is officially recognised by the Spanish education system. Every school year, one more year will be added to the curriculum until students aged 18 are accepted (Advanced/ Years 12 and 13 level). The school boasts highly qualified teachers, a personalised education and high tech installations and equipment. The British School of Marbella is part of the British School Group, which has a significant network of schools around the world, including in countries such as Russia, China and Malaysia.

C/ Jacinto Benavente s/n,

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Marbella. Tel: 639 781 782. www.bsm.org.es

Saress®

The perfect beach dress

Rotary Club Estepona feeds the needy

The Rotary Club of Estepona, in conjunction with the Asociación de Emáus Obra de Amor and the Estepona City Council, has opened a soup kitchen to feed those who are struggling financially and who cannot afford to eat, particularly those who are unemployed, disabled or immigrants. At the outset, the kitchen will eventually feed around 50 people a day, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, with take-home services for those who are disabled and cannot make it to the kitchen in person.

Around 150 people will be fed every day. Those wishing to lend a helping hand may donate food to the kitchen if they wish.

Tel: 951 894 026. www.4businessglobal.com

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No untidy fastenings or ties… create effortless chic on the beach with the versatile Saress®. The unique registered design makes the garment both easy to wear and stylish. Just take the Saress® behind your back, holding a loop in each hand, slide the loops over the opposite arms creating a dress in seconds. All the Saress’s loops can be adjusted for added flexibility and comfort. Choose from four different sizes and two lengths: The Saress® reaches mid thigh to knee, graduating in size, while The Saress® Sundown rests at mid ankle.

Edif.

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BMW Porsche, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella.

Tel: 902 930 688. www.saress.es

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THEPRO BUSINESS

Report belinda beckett Photography courtesy of Panorama

“Our profession is a source of enjoyment and my greatest pleasure in life is how enriched I am by the wonderful people I meet through it.”

Christopher with his children, Alex and Katinka

This year, Panorama Properties celebrates its 40th anniversary in Marbella as the resort city’s first international real estate agency – and now, its longest-established too. Belinda Beckett talks to Christopher Clover, owner/MD of this pioneering family firm whose history in its entirety spans 106 years and four generations.

W

hen Christopher Clover graduated from the University of Virginia with an Economics Degree in 1969, there were two career paths he did not wish to follow: “One was teaching. Though I did well at school I felt that teaching wasn’t really my vocation.

And, as I had been hearing about little else since I was a young boy, the other was going into the family real estate business.”

Forty years on, seated in Panorama’s elegant Golden Mile headquarters opposite The Marbella Club, photographs dating back to his grandfather’s time and a stack of exclusive property files in his in-tray tell another story. In fact, before he took charge of the family’s new real estate business in Marbella, his first job as a young man with linguistic skills was teaching French at a school in Maryland!

For someone whose career panned out in precisely the way he’d hoped it wouldn’t, Christopher is a contented man. Real estate has become this genial 63-year-old American’s life, and he’s good at it. By

applying the values handed down by his father and grandfather, the name of Panorama has, over four decades of property peaks and troughs, become synonymous with the sale of fabulous homes and a transparency that is often sadly lacking in the profession. “I have no wish ever to retire,” says Christopher with passion. “Our profession is a source of enjoyment and my greatest pleasure in life is how enriched I am by the wonderful people I meet through it.”

Most fulfilling of all was welcoming his children, Alex and Katinka, onto the team of 23 professionals in sales, rentals, administration and consulting, ensuring continuity of the family Christopher an d his

brother Bill with th

eir father, Bill Clo ver Senior and

PANORAMA CELEBRATING 40 YEARS in Marbella

grandfather in

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1962

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Burtt Byron Clover, in 1904

Bill Clover with his team in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1960 Where it all started: The on-site sales office in Itasca (Chicago) around 1938 Chris in Puerto Banús in 1982

Chris arrives to take over Panorama’s office in Marbella. Cutting from the Iberian Daily Sun, March 1973

tradition. They joined “without parental coercion,” says Chris, “the best moment of my working life!”

The family dynasty was founded in Chicago in 1904 by Christopher’s grandfather, Burtt Byron Clover, and continued by Christopher’s father Bill (celebrating his 95th birthday this month) who opened an office in Virginia in 1952. Although his grandfather died in 1970, aged 94, Christopher remembers two pieces of advice he gave him as a young man which he applies in business today. “One was that the farmer always wants to buy pasture on the other side of the fence,” recalls Chris. “On countless occasions since, when we have listed a property, I have approached neighbours and their friends and often effected a quick sale. My grandfather also used to say that the big house in the street of small houses is harder to sell than the small house in the street of big houses, illustrating the importance of location and its impact on selling prices.”

Bill acquired Panorama International Ltd in 1968, a Washington D.C.-based company specialising in selling second homes abroad to American investors. In 1970, Panorama’s first overseas real estate office opened in Marbella, followed by branches in Mexico City and Mallorca.

Marbella’s reputation as an exclusive quality resort Christopher in Puerto Banús, 1986 with the best weather in Europe was already

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established and Panorama became the first real estate agency to bring clients here on inspection flights. On one memorable occasion, Chris and his sales team received a charter plane of 120 people comprising 75 ‘buying units’ to whom they made 49 sales that week – mostly of apartments and villas in Nueva Andalucía and Bahia Dorada in Estepona, priced at $ 5,000 to $30,000. “My father showed great foresight in targeting Marbella as the jewel in Europe’s second home market and when he told me he needed my help in our Washington office, in 1971, I couldn’t refuse,” says Chris.

Prior to his arrival here on February 16th, 1973 – his 26th birthday – the business had moved from a small office next to Alameda Park to a much larger office opposite the old Portillo bus station.

Recalls Chris: “All the equipment was transported by donkey! Those were the days when you had to ring the operator in Málaga and sometimes wait all day to get an international call through. The main link to the outside world was our cherished telex machine.”

Two years on, the worst recession since the war forced the Washington office to close. Brother Bill took over the Mexico City branch and became a top consultant in property development and financing with whom Christopher still exchanges clients and advice on a regular basis. Christopher and his first

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Bill Clover, Sr. on his 95th birthday

office of B.B. An on-site salesicago, around 1938 Clover near Ch Main office, just opposite the Marbella Club Hotel

“I am surrounded today by a team comprised of true champions in our field, the best I have ever had.”

Christopher Clover

wife Kirsten stayed on in Marbella to develop the local business, enjoying focusing on higher-end properties and clients rather than high pressure ‘fly-bys’. “We worked very hard but we were always accompanied by a lot of good luck,” says Christopher. “During the 1970s we were introduced to members of the Saudi Royal Family and sold many of the properties they bought in Marbella at the time.”

Surviving with fortitude the difficult 1989-1993 recession, in 1994 Christopher opened a sales office strategically located, as befitting his high profile clients, at the prestigious Puente Romano Hotel.

Head office, with a new rentals division, was opened directly opposite the Hotel Marbella Club in 1996.

Today, his plans are equally bullish: “We are investing a lot of time every week with our team members to improve their communication skills, product and industry knowledge and their professionalism in general,” says Christopher. “We are constantly refining our multiple organisational systems and great Internet site to make them more efficient and transparent. The results becoming evident over time are that I am surrounded today by a team comprised of true champions in our field, who get along together amazingly well – the best I have ever had.”

“We expect the present economic downturn to be a lot shorter than that of ’89 to ‘93, since Marbella is

now consolidated with a 12 month season, unrivalled infrastructure and a much broader market, while the Internet and globalisation era has unquestionably made everything evolve more quickly than before,” adds Christopher. To help ride it out, Panorama has reinforced its listings priced at under €700.000 to achieve an incredible 40 per cent increase in sales last year over 2008, although at an average price of 60 per cent less. Despite good market movement in the less expensive properties being sold mainly to bargain seekers, Christopher sees definite indications that the higher-end market of €1.55million is returning, and that “the opportunities appearing this year represent a unique time for a buyer to acquire a property in most price ranges at rock bottom prices.” However he does not expect prices to recover to 2006-2007 highs for some time, with the exception of the few truly unique properties that are not reproducible.

Future plans? Christopher would like to open an office in east Marbella in the next two to three years to offer a better service to clients and capitalise on the company’s good name. And of course to keep on doing what he loves best, in his words, “for another 40 years!”

The Panorama story continues.

Chris and his wife Jovita, today

i Tel: 952 863 750, www.panorama.es essential marbella magazine

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THEPRO

FINANCE

Bad Debt Management

In these difficult economic times, many companies are suffering reduced levels of profitability and facing greater difficulties in converting their sales into cash, due to bad debts. However it’s not all doom and gloom as there are ways to ensure the collection of debtor balances, or at least to mitigate their effect. Susana Serrano-Davey, ACA, of Rose & Clavel Anglo-Spanish Chartered Accountants, explains how.

Tax Relief

Corporation Tax

Debtor’s Insurance

There are reliefs available to ensure that the business is not taxed on those transactions which are likely to remain unrecoverable. The criteria for tax reliefs available are summarised below.

Legislation in this area offers the possibility to make provisions for doubtful debts arising from potential irrecoverable balances.

As with IVA, there are a number of conditions to be met in order to obtain corporation tax relief. Companies can make a provision for specific balances if they are deemed irrecoverable. A bad debt may be considered irrecoverable if: u The balance has been outstanding for at least six months. u The debtor has commenced insolvency proceedings. u The debtor has been prosecuted for fraud. u A claim has been pursued by legal proceedings.

Even when the condition test has been passed, there are cases when bad debt provisions are not tax allowable, for instance if the debt is guaranteed by official means.

In addition to the above, there is relief specific to smaller entities whose annual turnover was below €8 million in the preceding tax year.

Legislation applicable to smaller entities allows these companies to make general bad debt provisions for up to 1% of the total debtor balance at the year end. (Of course, this is excluding any debtor balances provided for.)

Businesses may also want to explore other tools to enable them to minimise the impact of doubtful debts. There are a number of financial products available, such as:

These policies allow companies to guarantee the recovery of their bad debts.

The financial institution, in exchange for a percentage, guarantees a proportion of the debtor balances.

IVA

In summary…

It is possible to claim full relief as long as the bad debt is irrecoverable. A bad debt may be considered irrecoverable if: u The balance has been outstanding for at least one year. u The situation has been properly reflected in the accounting records. u The taxable base of the balance exceeds €300. u A claim has been pursued by legal proceedings.

Once all of the above conditions are met, the business can issue a credit note.

This method of relief is not available in all cases, for instance when the debtor balance is used as security for bank loan purposes, or when it is guaranteed by an insurance policy.

There may also be restrictions if the debtor goes into voluntary liquidation proceedings.

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Effective collection of debts should be one of the prime objectives of any business. There is no point in increasing sales if the business is failing to collect payments in the appropriate manner.

To speed up debt collection, any business should: u Formalise credit terms. The more standard the terms, the easier it will be to manage debtors. u Clarify the credit terms when the order is placed or the services are agreed. u Consider requesting payments on account, in advance,

Factoring This is a contract whereby the company foregoes its rights in respect to the debtors to the factoring company, allowing immediate access to the cash at a discounted rate.

With this financial arrangement, turnover generated from either the sale of goods or the provision of services is granted to the factoring company at a lower value, to reflect the value of both the financing element of the arrangement and the credit collection services.

i Rose & Clavel provides high-quality, professional and reliable accountancy services and innovative business solutions for English and Spanish speaking clients who expect the very best.

Further information, Tel: 952 815 365. www.roseandclavel.com/ info@roseandclavel.com

either partly or totally. u Use a direct debit system. u Ensure there is an effective internal control system to keep track of debtor balances. u Stick to the terms and formalise a standard system of reminders which is professional yet polite.

All the above should be considered general guidelines, as each case will have specific circumstances that need to be taken into consideration. One should always consult an accountant before acting on any of the issues covered.

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THETRAVELLER HOTEL

The Hotel Meliá La Quinta and the splendour of Andalucía Report marisa cutillas photography courtesy of the hotel meliá la quinta

L

ight, nature and the romance of the ArabAndalusí period are key words that spring to mind when speaking of The Hotel Meliá La Quinta. Ensconced in a lush valley surrounded by elegant villas, amid pine groves, the hotel forms part of a resort that encompasses three golf courses with nine holes each, a club house, exterior pools and gardens crossed by bridges and exotic tropical plants that instil a cool, tranquil atmosphere and invite long strolls to unwind, forget and rediscover the self.

The designers of the hotel have steered clear of bold, brash colours, avant-garde statements and harsh angles. Everything at the Meliá La Quinta exudes space, light and luxury. From the high, wood beamed ceilings and flowing Andalusian fountain in the reception area to exquisite pieces of antique Arabian furniture and pastel colours, the design invites you to do what you have been dreaming of all year and which you probably only manage to do well when on holidays: exhale.

Wood and iron are key features of the décor, from public areas right through to the rooms with their Arabian archways, Andalusian-style bathrooms and clay tiled terraces. Don’t expect heavy drapery or tapestries at this hotel; anticipate, instead, being taken aback by the power of natural light and the conservative yet well-though-out use of signature pieces like iron lamps, mosaics and wrought iron bed frames. Be seduced by the wonderful views, for all rooms look out onto either the curvacious outdoor pool or the sea.

There are 172 rooms, composed of 52 Meliá Premium rooms, three Junior Suites, two Executive Suites and the Presidential Suite. All have their own terrace, from which guests can breathe in the fresh mountain air as they look out onto the Mediterranean. The Presidential Suite is particularly appealing, with its grand, Andalusian-tiled Jacuzzi and central dining table, ideal for families or for an extravagant business lunch. Best of all, adjoining rooms can be adapted for larger groups via communicating doors.

The Meliá Group, which took over from Westin

earlier this year, also runs the Casa Club: a beautiful, spacious area in which to celebrate weddings, special events and galas with a glorious outdoor terrace and an inviting dining area that is normally the first choice for hotel guests. Its romantic, white interiors and gracious candelabras are the perfect setting for a great Mediterranean meal overlooking Golf Valley. Speaking of cuisine, the hotel is lucky enough to house one of the best Japanese restaurants in these parts: Kaede, located above the pool with its exotic, thatched-roof and truly authentic cuisine. Within the hotel, guests can also opt for creative Mediterranean at Los Arcos restaurant, enjoy a cocktail at the Pool Bar Mirador or have an afterdinner drink at the Arabian-inspired Bar Alijama.

One of the most attractive features of this hotel is its spa, recently built and measuring an impressive 1,500m2. If Arabian architecture turns you on, a visit to the thermal area is a must, with its central pool located beneath a star-studded dome which lets in plenty of natural light. The details are impressive, with Arabian relaxation areas, hanging iron lamps, Moroccan-style sofas and plenty of sculpted dark wood and mosaics, making you feel like a member of the Arabian royalty. At the spa you can indulge in a luxurious massage or facial and improve your circulation at the hydro-massage pool, Mediterranean sauna, steam room, hammam, and sensation showers, or complete a few laps at the sizeable, heated exterior pool. The Spa works with the prestigious YHI Spa line of treatments and products and also boasts a fitness centre and Members’ Club.

As is to be expected of a five-star, grand luxury hotel, the Meliá La Quinta has many additional features, including a convention centre measuring over 800m2, a beautiful, 504m2 exterior terrace and plenty of natural light for business events.

Families are likewise catered for; the 1,000m2 Kids Club boasts an exterior games area, sports zone, swimming pool, swings and TV/reading area.

Whether golf, relaxation or bonding with family is the aim on your next holiday, the Hotel Meliá La Quinta is sure to meet your expectations. n

i Urb. La Quinta Golf, s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 762 000. www.melia-hotels.com

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THETRAVELLER OPERA

A NIGHT AT THE OPERA Belinda Beckett takes a tour of some of the world’s most iconic state opera houses.

The Palais Garnier in Paris, haunt of the Phantom of the Opera © Opéra national de Paris/ Jean-Pierre Delagarde

O

pera has been part of our history for 400 years and there is nothing like experiencing this powerful musical entertainment under the baton of a stellar conductor in one of the world’s great opera houses. Often financed by wealthy patrons to endorse their political and social ambitions, opera houses were built on a grand scale with orchestra pits for more than 100 musicians, stages for a cast of hundreds and sumptuous décor befitting the sensibilities of their highbrow audiences. Designed on a horseshoe shape to provide unimpaired sight lines, they were also acoustical tour de forces, perfectly projecting the rich bass, baritone, tenor and soprano voices in the days before sound systems were invented. However, their reliance on candles and oil lamps for lighting meant that many original buildings were destroyed by fires. Urban temples to the glorification of music and stage illusion they may have been but many of the early opera houses, like La Scala, were also casinos where gamblers could be found rubbing shoulders with opera aficionados.

Also, behind the refinement, there has always been the hint of Roman amphitheatre cruelty about the opera house and its merciless audiences, and

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many performers have been metaphorically ‘thrown to the lions’. Maria Callas was booed many times and once, had a ‘bouquet’ of radishes thrown at her by an unimpressed spectator. Heart-rendingly, the myopic diva picked them up and pressed them to her bosom, thinking they were flowers.

Today, the emphasis is on attracting a wider audience with more eclectic productions and cheaper ticket prices although expect to pay three-figure sums for the best seats in the house. Many travel companies offer opera packages, such as European Opera Tours (www.europeanoperatours.com) where travellers benefit from group discounts on tickets on tours that include five star hotel accommodation, gourmet dining with wine, orchestra level seats, transport and city sightseeing. These companies can often come by tickets to performances that appear to be sold out.

Of course, in these modern times of live satellite transmission, you don’t even have to buy a seat to see a production. But, for true aficionados who go to absorb the atmosphere along with the performance, being there is what opera is all about.

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‘

Paris Opera The Palais Garnier’s grand foyer, a vivid example of Belle Époque splendour © Opéra National de Paris/ Jean-Pierre Delagarde

Opera highlight: June 14 – July 10: Juan Diego Florez, the greatest Rossini tenor of our times, makes a long-awaited return in Rossini’s Lady of the Lake, conducted by Roberto Abbado.*

M

ade famous by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 musical, The Phantom of the Opera, the Palais Garnier (aka Paris Opéra) is an architectural masterpiece of its time although when it opened in 1875 the composer Claude Debussy opined that, “outside it looks like a railway station; inside, like a Turkish bath”. A vivid example of the architectural excesses of the Belle Époque, rich with velvet, gold leaf and cherubim, it was designed for Napoleon III by French architect Charles Garnier who also built Monaco’s opera house. The interior is famous for its Grand Staircase of white Carrara marble and five-tiered auditorium bedecked in red velvet and gold, with a false ceiling painted by Chagall in 1964. The auditorium seats 2,200 and the massive stage can accommodate up to 450 artists at once.

In 1896, tragedy struck when the six-ton Grand Chandelier fell during a performance of Goethe’s Faust, killing a member of the audience. This, together with the building’s maize-like cellars (which today house the technical rooms) and a subterranean ‘lake’ which had to be enclosed in a stone water tank after

numerous failed attempts to pump the site dry, inspired Gaston Leroux to write his famous Gothic novel, Le Fantôme de l’Opéra.

Although a work of fantasy, opera house staff have long claimed that the tank is home to a large, white catfish. However, perhaps it’s just a pretty legend as today it is used by Paris’s fire fighters to practice swimming in the dark! The building is open for guided tours throughout the year when you can see impressive displays of set models, costumes and drawings used over the years.

Although its role as home of the Paris National Opera was taken over in 1989 by the modern Opéra Bastille, the neo-Baroque Palais Garnier still stages a mixed programme of classical opera, ballet and orchestral concerts. However, its tiara-shape means that many seats have limited visibility, so it’s best to ask specifically what the sight lines are when booking. Conversely, the Opéra Bastille is a product of the latest technology, designed to produce the most sophisticated acoustics in a highly contemporary environment, its prosaic look deliberate on the part of architect Carlos Ott to integrate it into its urban surroundings. i www.operadeparis.fr

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The Metropolitan Opera House

The Metropolitan Opera’s 3,700-seater auditorium ©Jonathan Tichler/Metropolitan Opera

Paul Hamlyn Hall before a performance © Rob Moore

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

C

The magnificent façade of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden © ROH Pictures/Rob Moore

ovent Garden, as it is often called after the famous fruit & veg market location, is tucked away in Bow Street but the home of the Royal Opera, Ballet and Orchestra is no less magnificent for that. The third version of the building, its predecessors having been destroyed by fires in 1808 and 1857, includes many elements which were incorporated during a £178 million redevelopment in the late 1990s and today it has one of the most modern backstage areas of any opera house in Europe. Surtitles, projected onto a screen above the proscenium, are used for all performances and seats with restricted view of the screen are fitted with electronic libretto monitors. The addition of two additional studio theatre spaces, the conversion of the adjacent Floral Hall into a spectacular dining and performance space, innovative programming and more affordable seats (2,268 in all) have helped to attract new and younger audiences in tough financial times.

Originally opened in 1732 as a playhouse when it headlined Sarah Siddons and other famous actors of the day, in 1735 Handel’s first season of operas as Musical Director began here. Many of his subsequent works were specifically written for, and premiered at, the opera house on a stage lit only by candles and oil lamps. However, in 1837, Covent Garden set a new trend as the first theatre to use limelight to spotlight solo performers.

After the two world wars, when the building was respectively requisitioned as a furniture repository and a dance hall, it became policy to favour English-speaking operas. Benjamin Britten’s Gloriana was staged in 1953 for the Queen’s coronation and many of the great English-speaking singers made their debuts at that time, including Joan Sutherland, Jon Vickers and Geraint Evans, although ultimately opera in English lost its appeal.

After years of funding problems, directorial resignations and general instability which reached crisis point in the 1990s, the new management has introduced a series of successful innovations, including free outdoor big screen relays of live performances nationwide, cinema screenings in the UK and beyond and a programme that features contemporary arts festivals and family performances as well as the annual season of works by both The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet on the main stage from September to July. i www.roh.org.uk Opera highlight: May 31-July 3: Mozart’s Le Nozze de Figaro, David McVicar’s closely observed production of Mozart’s comedy reprises its 2006 premiere with Uruguay-born bass-baritone Erwin Schrott as Figaro and principle conductor Colin Davis, a former Music Director of The Royal Opera.*

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S

ixties suburban-shopping-mall modern it may be but New York’s Metropolitan Opera House transcends its own architecture. The Met, as the opera company is known, predates its Lincoln Centre address and for more than 100 years before the 1966 opening of its present home, it has been the gold standard of opera, with one of the longest records of continuous performance headlining the best of the best, from Dame Nellie Melba to Caruso to Domingo.

Its 3,700 seating capacity makes it one of the largest musical arenas in the entire US, with superb acoustics, audience-friendly sight lines and a highly mechanized stage supporting the rotating presentation of up to four different opera productions each week. The lobby displays two stunning murals created for the space by Chagall, the square gold proscenium is a massive 54-feet wide and high and the main curtain of custom-

woven gold damask is the largest in the world.

Each season, the Met stages over 200 opera performances attended by over 800,000 people while, since 2006, Metropolitan Opera Live in HD introduced a series of live opera performances transmitted in high-definition video via satellite to cinemas statewide and abroad. The management of the Met has always had strong buying-power, hence it commands the best and most expensive talent in the world. Always one step ahead of the game, the new 2010/11 season has already been announced, showcasing seven new productions, including premieres of John Adams’s Nixon in China and Rossini’s Le Comte Ory. Famous names featuring in the new season include bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, soprano Renée Fleming and conductors Simon Rattle, Andrew Davis and Plácido Domingo.

It’s easy to see why the Met is a must on any trip to the Big Apple. i www.metoperafamily.org

Opera highlight: May 1-15: Armida by Rossini, conducted

by Riccardo Frizza, starring Renée Fleming as the sorceress who enthralls men in her island prison of sensual delights.*

The spectacular lobby of the Metropolitan Opera House © Marty Sohl/ Metropolitan Opera

La Scala’s 3,000-seater auditorium, renowned for its scale, beauty and perfect acoustics © Teatro alla Scala/photo Marco Brescia

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Opera highlight: July 9-24: JeanPierre Ponnelle’s renowned production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, conducted by JeanChristophe Spinosi, starring Juan Diego Flórez as Count Almaviva.*

s the birthplace of opera, Italy boasts a prolific number of opera houses but none is more highly revered and imitated than La Scala, as this temple of bel canto is popularly known. Apart from its sheer beauty and size, with seating for 3,000, its acoustics are said to be perfect although that has not saved even the most successful performers from a savage reaction from the loggione – the standing-room only space above the boxes that holds opera’s most critical aficionados. In 2006, tenor Roberto Alagna was booed off stage during a performance of Aïda, forcing understudy Antonello Palombi to replace him midscene without time to change into costume.

La Scala is particularly associated with Verdi whose Nabucco, Otello and Falstaff were all premiered here, along with Bellini’s Norma, Rossini’s Il Turco in Italia and Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia. In the 18th century, La Scala Teatro alla Scala, Milan was the centre of the development of Opera Buffa, the lighter comic style of Italian opera.

Fire destroyed the original 1737 building and its 1816 replacement was relocated on the site of the old Santa Maria della Scala church. The exterior was simple for its time, reserving the opulence for within. Statues of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi preside over the neo-classical foyer, four tiers of red, gold and white boxes encircle the auditorium and massive fluted columns frame the stage. Badly bombed during World War II, La Scala’s reopening in 1946 was the most promising sign that the oppression of Mussolini’s regime was finally over. A major renovation from 2002-05 doubled the size of the stage, enabling it to produce three different operas simultaneously. Seats have monitors allowing audiences to follow the libretti in English and Italian in addition to the original language.

Today the opera house is also home to the La Scala Theatre Chorus, Ballet and Orchestra corps as well as an associate teaching academy. The adjacent museum is a must-see, showcasing mementos of the theatre’s colourful past: costumes, capes, masks, and photographs belonging to Callas, Zeffirelli and Toscanini, and a vast array of Verdi memorabilia.

La Scala’s opera season traditionally opens on 7 December, the feast day of Milan’s patron saint, and runs until November this year, with 19 ballet and opera productions. For fun, why not try out the loggione and get practising your fischi (mocking whistles) now. i www.teatroallscala.org © Teatro alla Scala/photo Marco Brescia

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Vienna State Opera House

The Vienna State Opera House © Wiener Staatsoper GmbH/Axel Zeininger

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The grand entrance to The Vienna State Opera House © Wiener Staatsoper GmbH/ Axel Zeininger

Opera highlight: June 16-27 and September 5-15: Premier of Wagner’s Tannhäuser, conducted by Franz Welser-Möst who takes over the post of the Vienna State Opera’s Music Director in September and will conduct the Vienna New Year’s Concert in 2010/2011.*

he wine-red and gold Vienna State Opera House is lavishly appointed, fittingly so in the homeland of Mozart, Strauss and Mahler. Inaugurated in 1869 with a performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, the ornate interiors are decorated with sculptures, paintings, tapestries, and frescoes. However, harsh criticism from the public who felt the building’s exterior wasn’t grand enough drove one of the architects to suicide and the other to his death from a heart attack before it was completed.

Rebuilt after it was badly damaged by an American bombardment during the last war, its orchestra is the world-famous Vienna Philharmonic and it has up to 50 operas in production during its 10-month season, supported by the highest level of subsidy of any opera house in the world. The Austrians regard their opera as a matter of national pride and are prepared to pay for it.

Gustav Mahler was one of the many conductors in residence. During his tenure, he cultivated a new generation of singers, replaced the lavish historical stage décors with more minimal sets corresponding to modernistic tastes and introduced the practice of dimming the lighting during performances.

Last year, to mark its 140th anniversary, the opera house pioneered a revolutionary idea designed to embrace younger audiences: a giant 50m2 screen which broadcast over 60 operas live to the public, a hugely successful venture that was greeted with much fervour by the many tourists and locals who experienced this cultural first. Under the current SecretaryGeneral, family man Ioan Holender, the opera house has become well-known for its children’s productions which are performed in a tent on the roof, and it runs an opera school for youngsters who are recruited for children’s roles. It is also famous for its Opera Ball, a relic of Imperial Vienna’s glory days held every February, when a false floor over the stalls converts the whole interior into a giant ballroom, attracting prominent visitors from all over the world. i www.staatsoper.at The wine-red and gold auditorium of The Vienna State Opera © Wiener Staatsoper GmbH/Axel Zeininger

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Opera highlight: June 28-July 13: Opera Australia presents the Sydney premiere of A Little Night Music,

by Sondheim & Wheeler, starring Australia’s own Sigrid Thornton as Desirée Armfeldt. *

The spectacular Sydney Opera House auditorium © Sydney Opera House

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o tourist visits the homeland of Dames Nellie Melba and Joan Sutherland without taking a ferry across the harbour to see breathtaking Sydney Opera House, billowing over the water like an Armada of ships in full sail. More than seven million tourists file through its turnstiles annually and not all are opera buffs by a long way.

Comprising not only an opera house but three theatres, a concert hall, outdoor performance space and numerous panoramic restaurants and bars, it is one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world, staging over 1,500 performances each year for some 1.2 million people, including productions by the four key resident companies: Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, Sydney Theatre Company and Sydney Symphony. It also presents more than 700 of its own shows annually, an eclectic mix of artistic and cultural activities for all ages, from the educational to the experimental.

In the public eye even before it was built (during construction, singer Paul Robeson climbed the scaffolding to sing to the workers), it has been making news ever since. Pope John Paul II made an address here in 1986, as did Nelson Mandela, shortly after his release from prison in 1990.

Opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973, the youngest UNESCO World Heritage site in history, it was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who won a competition to design it and, in 2003, received the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honour. However, it wasn’t all plain sailing.

Utzon’s original design was beyond the capabilities of engineering at the time and it was several years before he worked out how to build the distinguishing feature – the roof ‘sails’ – leading to his resignation in 1966 over an impasse which he famously described as “Malice in Blunderland”. Ultimately, the building took 14 years to complete and was way over budget. However the groundbreaking design, one of the first to employ computer analysis in its construction, set the tone for the complex geometries of today’s architecture. i www.sydneyoperahouse.com n

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House bar by night © Sydney Opera House

* Various dates between those shown

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the gourmet

E VERYTHING ABOUT DINING

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Suite Dreams

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Polynesian’s Island Paradise

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Food News

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Chef’s Profile: Benôit of Zozoï

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Wine People: Bibiana García of Bodega Cortijo Los Aguilares Listings

26/4/10 11:49:07

Fi n e T h a i C u i s i n e

RESERVATIONS:

952 818 392

Open Every Evening for Dinner Ctra. de Cรกdiz Km. 175 PUERTO BANร S (Behind The Shell Petrol Station) Marbella

Puente Romano, Fase 2, Marbella. Open Daily for Dinner from 8:00pm Serving Marbella in a Select Atmosphere for 27 years.

tel: 952 777 893 or 952 775 500

TAI PAN Chinese Cuisine - Polynesian Bar

Exquisite Royal Thai Cuisine

NOW OPEN FOR

LUNCH & DINNER!

E130_oriental.indd 1

Tel: 952 770 550 Open Mon-Sat. C.C. Marbellamar, L-3A. Marbella.

Oriental Delights

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THEGOURMET

RESTAURANT

Suite at Puente Romano Marbella’s Star Attraction Report belinda beckett photography kh photography

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eople talk nostalgically of the golden years when Marbella glittered with more stars than the night sky and moved to the glamorous beat of the wealthy international jet set. Suite at Puente Romano has bottled that magic formula and pops the cork on Thursday to Saturday nights to release a heady mix of great food and music and an ambience more potent than the finest Cristal champagne (which, of course, is available here). That’s one reason it has remained the coast’s top nightspot for seven years, and why celebrities still flock here, although every customer is treated like a superstar.

The glamour begins at the Persian-carpeted entrance where a souk-style gift shop adds a dash of rock-the-kasbah quirkiness and a curtained-off door leads into what was the once world-famous Régine’s nightclub. Rafael Campaña, the gracious Maître d’ who has worked at the Puente Romano for over 30 years, will usher you across the polished wood floor to the bar, passing a velvet-curtained alcove (the salon privé, where many a troth has been plighted) and a pair of ornate thrones that once graced a Sultan’s palace. Or perhaps you’d like to smoke a shisha pipe before dinner?

In the 80-cover restaurant, colourful Marrakesh meets Oriental mysticism with low banquette seating, bright scatter cushions, brass Buddhas and glowing Moroccan lamps. After 1am, the chilled mood moves up-tempo when Edu and Zoe, Suite’s

two resident DJs, spin the latest dance tracks. You can remain at your table, emigrate to the bar or join the throng (350 guests is not unusual) in the spectacular LED-lit disco-lounge, where giant white daybeds are a seductive invitation to recline while attractive waiting staff attend to your every whim.

Suite’s management has always anticipated new trends and the addition of a sushi bar and a new Asiatic menu should assure its continued place at the pinnacle of Marbella’s social scene.

Talented chef Elquin was headhunted from Minabo, Madrid’s top Japanese restaurant, to introduce an Asiatic twist to the club’s hitherto Moroccan-fusion repertoire, with lighter dishes that are perfect for a night that will almost certainly end on the dance floor. Elquin spent nine years studying Japanese cuisine and culture and it shows in his beautifullypresented dishes, which combine styles from his Venezuelan homeland, such as ceviche (citrusmarinated seafood), with Asian delicacies like sea urchin and flying fish roe. Guests can watch him practising his art at the sushi show bar (at €22 for 10, not superstar prices) or select from the menu of oriental and occidental recipes: Japanese sashimi and tataki, Lebanese mezze, lamb couscous, veal tagine, luxurious lobster and Beluga caviar are all available. With a kitchen overseen by Simón Padilla, the award-winning Executive Chef of the Puente Romano/Hotel Marbella Club consortium, consistent star quality is guaranteed.

We began with rock shrimp tempura, cocooned in a light, crispy coating, and a Mexican hat-shaped bowl of creamy pumpkin and miso soup, garnished with crispy Chinese noodles, caviar and tuna flakes, a symphony of sweet, earthy and salty flavours. We made a side trip to southeast Asia with skewers of tender chicken satay marinated in coconut milk before returning to Japan for Elquin’s signature

dish: a chunky wedge of melt-in-the-mouth black cod with steamed vegetables and a wafu and honey sauce, presented atop a slab of Himalayan rock salt resembling pink marble. Always at the cutting edge, Suite is one of the very few places where you can try this unusual way of serving dishes, hot or cold, to intensify the flavours of fish and meat. We accompanied our meal with a crisp dry white wine although champagne, fino or saki go equally well with Japanese cuisine. A great dining experience was rounded off with a creamy coconut flan with papaya tartar and an apple tart with almonds and cinnamon ice cream which left us replete but not too bloated for boogying. But it’s fun just to people watch.

Although you can easily push the boat out at the bar (and most people do at this inveterate party haunt) it’s possible to enjoy a three-course meal with wine for under €60. But book soon because next month, Suite emigrates to its summer home on the beach, Suite del Mar, where you’ll need extra stamina as the glam vibe rocks until dawn!

i Open Thursday to Saturday from 9pm-4am, booking

recommended. Tel: 676 920 474/ www.suiteclubs.com For enquiries about private parties/special events, contact PR Tara Lorimer, Tel: 630 962 852.

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Enjoy our new

! r a B o n a i P

e c a r r e T a c in F e h T all the World Cup The best place to watch us and tapas!

Games with special men

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THEGOURMET

RESTAURANT

Polynesian’s

World Cuisine to the Beat of Island Drums Report marisa cutillas photography kh photography

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s a fervent foodie and food writer, I often lament the tendency of designers to choose cold, minimalistic styles to decorate restaurants.

While it is true that good cuisine is what ultimately turns a first-time diner into a regular, it should never be at the expense of ambience. Polynesian’s, set in the La Alcazaba urbanisation between Puerto Banús and Marbella, is a classic example of what inviting design and ambience can do for a restaurant.

Here, the enticing sounds of Caribbean music, the warmth of island-style interiors and the sight of exotic cocktails, served in pineapples complete with swizzle sticks adorned with multi-coloured parrots, turn the mundane into the divine.

The wooden bar, large and curvy, invites you to try over 100 varieties of cocktails. Expect to find novelties like the Mojito or Caipirinha Crush, as well as old favourites such as Whiskey Sour, Manhattan and Strawberry Daquiri. I opted for the Caipirinha Crush on my recent visit which was sweet and heady, infused with the goodness of sugar cane and the unbeatable flavour of rum.

The split-level interior of Polynesian’s houses a plethora of well-situated tables that are usually filled with happy families enjoying the aromas of cuisine from all around the world. I find the restaurant wonderfully romantic, a great place to feel sexy with your partner as the cocktails and conversation flow and the food starts to arrive: titbits such as samosas, grilled prawns, Vietnamese spring rolls or Samoan snacks, designed to entice your taste

buds. Polynesian motifs abound, including pictures of islanders on the menus, masks hanging from the walls and ubiquitous wood, used in the flooring, walls and tables.

Polynesian’s is famed for its sushi and sashimi.

Diners can opt for their favourite varieties or choose gourmet delights such as the New Style Sushi (made with nouvelle ingredients like tenderloin steak and rolled in a gel-like layer of ginger, instead of traditional seaweed). Another big hit is the selection of fish and meat dishes, cooked over a wood-fire oven using a method that originated in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-20AD). The fire incorporates natural smoke and heat from split oak, with the fish or meat being suspended from hooks and cooked slowly for a unique level of tenderness and flavour.

At Polynesian’s, many dishes are cooked by this ancient method, including the duck breast with apple and chutney sauce, the Châteaubriand and the tender leg of lamb with mango sauce.

With such a choice, ordering is quite a task and your selection very much depends on where in the world you feel like dining on a given day. The categories on the menu belie the varied origin of the dishes: diners can opt for international starters, Polynesian favourites, wok choices, wood fire oven dishes, Polynesian curries and vegetarian temptations. On my recent visit, my companion and I decided to go Japanese, tucking into a tender, ultra-fresh tuna sashimi, artfully presented and served with two different types of seaweed, a wasabi

crème and an irresistible sauce made of pineapple and ginger. The crunchy, flavourful seaweed was a fantastic companion to the tuna and the wasabi crème was surprisingly sweet and gentle on the palate. For our main courses we ordered the woodoven cooked sea bass Sumatra with bok choy and coconut (plump, tender and flavourful) and the duck breast, sliced finely and complemented beautifully by a sweet apple chutney, shavings of parmesan and plum sauce.

The dessert menu is as tempting as any you’ll encounter, including light, healthy options (such as fresh fruit) and more sinful choices such as Polynesian’s brownie. We tried the apple tatin, sophisticatedly presented and wonderfully light and crisp; and, a cool new discovery – avocado yoghurt served with lime sorbet and a lovely raspberry coulis.

Life is never dull at Polynesian’s, where the tables normally buzz with life and laughter. If you need to pick up your mood, forget your worries and bond with the ones you love, Polynesian’s is a nofail choice. From the friendly service to the aromas, flavours and sounds, it is an experience created to please the senses.

i

Open every day for lunch and dinner.

Average price for a three-course meal with wine: €40.

Urb. La Alcazaba (opposite BMW and Dreamer’s Disco).

CN 340, km 175, Marbella. Tel: 952 816 100. www.restaurantepolynesians.es

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THEGOURMET

FOOD NEWS

Report Marisa CUTILLAS

Marbella Gourmet Club: Rewarding Dining The Marbella Gourmet Club is an exciting new project from the Town Hall of Marbella, aimed at promoting the wide gastronomic offer available locally, from the months of March to June, 2010. Clients will be able to enjoy exquisite yet reasonably priced menus at participating restaurants and receive gifts from participating companies. To join in on the action, all you need to do is print out the Marbella Gourmet Club brochure (available on www.marbellagourmetclub.es/folleto–pdf.pdf). Take the brochure to one of the participating restaurants and for each menu you order, the restaurant will place a stamp on it certifying your participation.

In the brochure, you will find a list of prizes you win by obtaining specific numbers of stamps. For instance, with one stamp you can obtain a thermal spa circuit or a free bottle of wine. With four stamps, you can take it to a whole new level, with free hire of a BMW for a weekend. Participating restaurants include Da Bruno Sul Mare, Restaurante Buenaventura, Restaurante Santiago and La Meridiana del Alaberdero.

i To discover the specific menus offered by the restaurants, log onto www.marbellagourmetclub.es

Cooking workshop at Da Bruno Da Bruno recently celebrated the season of asparagus by holding a special cooking workshop for the press, which I was lucky enough to attend. The event began with founder, Bruno Filippone, taking us to the market to buy three different varieties of asparagus. Bruno explained the difference between white asparagus (which grows underneath the ground) and green asparagus which grows above the ground and is therefore richer in nutrients. After discussing different sizes and varieties of asparagus, we headed to Da Bruno Sul Mare where Bruno invited us into the kitchens to cook an array of stunning recipes which we savoured later at an elegant meal whose star attraction was undoubtedly the pleasant company of Bruno himself. Asparagus was the focal point at Da Bruno in March and April when guests were able to order a host of dishes from an asparagus menu. Indeed, it is now common practice for Da Bruno to offer special menus focusing on products of the season. During the lunch, Bruno delighted us with pearls of wisdom about the importance of food to family stability, reminding us that we are more likely to feel like rushing home if we know a lovely, warm meal is awaiting us.

i Edif. Skol, Paseo Marítimo, Marbella. Tel: 952 903 318. www.dabruno.com

©Terra Sana

Loving the Earth at Terra Sana Terra Sana on the Golden Mile recently held a fabulous, lights-off dinner as part of Earth Hour, a global initiative which shows how we can save an incredible amount of electricity just by turning the lights off. The dinner, which also featured non-electronic music, offered eager diners fresh, ecological produce from nearby farmers. Earth Hour is only one of many ways the Terra Sana Life Team aims to help the environment.

The restaurant chain also holds an organic vegetable and fruit market every last Saturday of the month at Terra Sana Golden Mile, where I recently bought beautiful veggies and La Cabra Verde fresh goat’s cheese, which has been awarded the prize for Best Organic Cheese in Spain by the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Turismo Rural. The deli in Terra Sana, where you will find the lovely Raquel Álvarez, is also a haven of organic, healthy products such as pasta with seaweed, special wheats, non-harmful toiletries for children and even second-hand books. Kids can learn all about good cooking too, since there are courses for kids aged three and above every Saturday from 11am to 1pm, given by Ben Hayes, Head Chef of Terra Sana.

i Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, (in front of

the Hotel Gvadalpín), Marbella. Tel: 952 777 480. www.terrasana.net

New Home Baked Section at Passion Café Are you an incorrigible sweet tooth who cannot resist a home-made cake, made with the best butter, flour and fresh ingredients? If so, a visit to Passion Café is a must, as they now have a new, home baked section featuring a large selection of cakes, cookies and children’s birthday cakes which you can enjoy in the restaurant or take away. Choose from desserts such as lemon meringue pie, black forest gateaux, chocolate pecan pie, lemon curd cake, scones, carrot cake and an irresistible Mars Bar cheesecake.

i C.C. Colonia, San Pedro.Tel: 952 781 583. www.passioncafe.eu 142

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THEGOURMET CHEF PROFILE

d to keep ee n u yo b jo of pe ty is th n “I the key” learning every day, that is report marisa cutillas photography kh photography

Benoît of Zozoï and the comfort of home-cooked cuisine

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f you ever meet Benoît Van Houdt, Head Chef of Zozoï, don’t ask him if he first found the inspiration to cook from the aromas of his grandmother’s kitchen; he’s likely to laugh! Indeed, it’s fun to laugh along with him at the culinary penchant for attributing ability at creating fine cuisine to one’s ancestors.

Benoît, every inch the charming Belgian who runs this popular, well-reputed Marbella restaurant with his wife Maryse, is also practical and matter-of-fact. “How did I decide to become a chef?” he asks straight-forwardly.

“It just happened by accident, by coincidence. I went to catering school in Belgium and started to practise.

Around 11 years ago, Maryse and I came to the coast, liked it and decided to open Zozoï…”

Benoît is oddly humble; not interested in displaying past trophies or resting on his laurels. “It doesn’t matter what I’ve done… what matters is what I’m doing now,” he says, and only by being particularly insistent do I discover that the making of Benoît involved many years working at top restaurants in Belgium, many of which were Michelin-starred. Benoît is not desperate to impress, shock or draw attention to himself; all he wants to do is offer “good, homecooked comfort food” to his many regular customers and to the holiday crowd in summer.

Despite the many excellent critiques of Zozoï, Benoît feels no need to ride on any wave and shies away from terms like ‘fusion’ and ‘avante-garde’. “We’re not chasing after current trends. We have our own style and that’s what we’re doing,” he says. The ‘comfort food’ at Zozoï, which reveals Benoît’s love for food from all over the world, is based on good produce. Every morning, he makes an early start and heads for the market, where he buys the ingredients he will use in the kitchen that night. ‘Home-made’ is another key expression for Benoît, who makes everything by hand – from the breads right through to the ice-cream and desserts. He is

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particularly exited about two new developments at Zozoï: one is a new pizza menu. “We don’t do classical pizzas, like capricciosa or margarita, but gourmet pizza made with ingredients such as marinated chicken or spinach,” he says. Another novelty is the extensive bread menu. He explains, “We make bread to order, so diners can select the flavour they wish.” Some varieties of bread include garlic, chilli or cheese.

Zozoï is open every night except for Sundays and that leaves Benoît little time to pursue leisure activities. An ideal moment for him is “riding around with my bike, playing the drums and walking my two dogs”; (Benoît and Maryse have a Jack Russell and a Teckel). The young couple also indulge their penchant for Japanese food, when time permits, their favourite restaurant being Sushi des Artistes. “What those guys do is exceptional,” says Benoît.

Benoît and Maryse make a point of travelling as often as they can and, while there are few capital cities they haven’t visited, they have a particular weakness for Las Vegas. “We got married in a little white chapel,” says Benoît, and laughs when I tell him that this type of wedding has always been my dream.

If the excellent cuisine is what keeps diners coming back to Zozoï, Benoît reminds me that the true mark of success, is teamwork. “There is no way I could feed 120 people on my own,” he says. Key members of staff include the waiters, many of whom have been with the Belgian couple for many years, as well as Benoît’s kitchen assistant, Johnny, with whom he has an excellent relationship after working with him for five years. And, of course, who could forget the lovely Maryse, ‘the face’ of Zozoï who meets and greets customers, always with a smile, always with great advice on picks of the day. “In this type of job you need to keep learning every day, that is the key,” says Benoît, a pearl of wisdom that is applicable to a chef, to a team and, indeed, to society as a whole.

i Plaza Altamirano 1, Marbella.

Tel: 952 858 868. www.restaurantezozoi.com

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THEGOURMET

WINE PEOPLE

Report A j linn photography kh Photography

Bibiana García O

nce upon a time when most wineries were family businesses, a member of the family would take on the job of winemaker. Nothing other than experience, and many harvests at his (or her) back, would be the knowledge base on which the products of the winery would succeed or fail. No formal qualifications were necessary.

Mariano García, one of Spain’s granddaddies in this field, (he worked at Vega Sicilia for 30 years) always claims that a wine should not be perfect; rather, it should reflect its terruño, or terroir, warts and all. Indeed, Mariano enjoys his job most when the harvest has been difficult and the making of a good wine calls upon all his knowledge and skill.

When he left Vega Sicilia he set up his own brand, Mauro (Tudela de Duero), and later Maurodos (DO Toro). He could undoubtedly have stayed on comfortably at Vega Sicilia for the rest of his working life but he felt his innovative ability was no longer being challenged and wanted to make his own wine with its own personality, rather than a wine where the level of creativity that could be introduced was limited Although they used to be called winemakers, that term is only used today if they happen to be flying winemakers. Now they are usually referred to as oenologists

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(enólogos) and, whereas you may treasure the image of a winemaker as a hoary son of the soil, forever in the vineyard or dipping barrels, the modern day equivalent is more likely to be a young person wearing a white coat in a laboratory.

Traditionally, back when things were not so competitive in the business, there was no need to bring in anyone from outside.

But, as the family structure of most wineries disappeared and competition became fierce, wine had to be made according to the circumstances and it was not enough to follow the same procedures year after year. A particular wine that was made from more than one grape will be blended differently each year according to the outcome of the harvest and the judgement of the bodega’s oenologist. He or she will have staked their reputation on it. Disagreement with the owner of the bodega is also par for the course. Imagine sitting in a restaurant kitchen with an experienced chef while he experiments with the ingredients for a gazpacho. The final version may, in your opinion, have a little too much vinegar but the chef insists it is perfect and the customers will love it. You are not so sure and would prefer to reduce the vinegar level, etc… Well, the same thing happens on the winery floor, and a brave and probably sensible bodeguero will give his winemaker full

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“The Cortijo de los Aguilares 2008 wine won first prize against 1,200 other pinot noirs”

reign and only criticise when sales do not come up to the mark – not before.

Love them or hate them, wine competitions can affect an oenologist’s CV significantly. And when you are as young and, in theory, as inexperienced as Bibiana García of Ronda’s Cortijo de los Aguilares bodega, such things tend to mark you forever. In Bibi’s case it is the 2009 World Pinot Noir Challenge in Sierre, Switzerland, where the Cortijo de los Aguilares 2008 wine won first prize against 1,200 other pinot noirs from many countries.

Bibi was born in Seville and studied chemistry at the university. Fascinated by aromas, and with a photographic sense of smell, she assumed she would gravitate towards the perfume trade but after a course at Madrid’s Agricultural College she was offered the chance to do some fieldwork in a Rioja winery, Remírez de Ganuza, and it was here she found her true vocation. While course companions could not wait to get out of the fields and back to the laboratory, Bibi realised that contact with the earth and growing things was what she wanted to continue doing, and when she got a call from a Chilean winemaker she had met when he had visited Remírez de Ganuza, asking her to go over there, she was on the next flight. The next few years gave Bibi important experience in two of Chile’s leading wineries, Concha y Toro and Santa Rita, (where she married her boss).

Back in Spain, a spell in Priorato followed, at Cellar Vall Lach, a small producer of quality wine owned by singer Lluís Llach. Here, Bibi encountered the biodynamic method of viticulture, dictated by phases of the moon that allegedly take nothing from the soil.

The Pinot Noir grape is famously difficult to work with. It is grown all over the world, from Algeria to Brazil and Croatia to Mexico. But the grape’s reputation comes from Burgundy, where, on a three kilometre-wide sliver of hillside known as the Côte d’Or, the pinot noir vine has always been at its superb

best. In spite of the fact that wine made from the grape is genetically unstable, some of the world’s greatest wines – Chambertin, Clos de Vougeot, Romanée-Conti – have the Pinot Noir to thank for their fame. But it is a delicate flower. It leafs early so can be devastated by spring frosts, is more prone than other varieties to disease and, being host to 18 amino acids, it is one of the hardest wines to ferment.

One of its qualities is that it is the wine with the highest content of resveratrol, a powerful anti-oxidant.

Pinot Noir is reckoned to have that unusual quality in a wine; it is full-bodied but not heavy. The relatively high alcohol content does not come through with a tannin taste and, surprisingly, its bottle life usually peaks at five-to-eight years after the vintage.

Bibi was briefly at Pasos Largos, the Ronda winery under the same ownership as the Michelin-starred Tragabuches restaurant and, when she moved to Los Aguilares, she had never been asked to make Pinot Noir before. It was already planted on the 800-hectare Ronda estate, acquired by José Antonio Itarte, a Basque industrialist who retired to Marbella in 2000. Only 18 hectares are planted with vines, mainly Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and, of course, Pinot Noir. Although not officially registered as an organic producer, no pesticides or herbicides are used. Production is small, only 10,000 bottles annually – all red.

(Essential Magazine passim) Whether a good oenologist is born or made must be open to a wine-fuelled discussion far into the night. Bibi García is surely in the former category. Not only has she won one of the world’s most prestigious awards for a wine she had never made previously but, when asked to make a Ronda equivalent of Beaujolais nouveau last year for the Da Bruno restaurant group, it did not faze her in the least and the result was delicious. Don’t run away with the idea that making wine in Ronda is easy. The 2008 vintage

of Pinot Noir was nearly ruined by 15 days of rain at harvest time and, out of 8,000 kilos of grapes, 2,000 were rejected. Pickers were having to select the bunches of grapes that were not mildewed on one side and sunburnt on the other.

Ask José Antonio Itarte if he makes wine for money or for pleasure and he will reply that it cannot be for money, as the investment he has made will take decades to amortise and even his children are unlikely to see the winery turn a profit. “Perhaps my grandchildren… ”, he remarks wistfully. Ask him what he wants for the moment and he will tell you he is very happy for Bibi to go on making good wines from his grapes.

Cortijo los Aguilares produces four other wines: a delicious rosado made from Merlot, Petit Verdot and Tempranillo; a young Tempranillo and Merlot blend; Pago El Espino, a reserva with 16 months in French oak; and Tadeo, an unusual Bibi-inspired blend of 80 per cent Petit Verdot and 20 per cent Merlot that is the flagship wine of the bodega.

Ask Bibi for her favourite wine (present company excepted of course), and it will be Contino Graciano red from Rioja and Lo Coster white from Priorato.

She also likes German wines, and of course Chilean; and, if champagne is available, Perrier Jouët. She won’t tell me her favourite local restaurants as they all buy her wines and it would be compromising to rate them but, in her native Sevilla, the preferred choice is Yebra in the La Macarena district; and, if you are ever up in Priorato, don’t miss the opportunity to eat at La Cooperativa en Porrera.

There are 20 bodegas in Ronda, all taking advantage of the incredible interest there is currently in an area that, until quite recently, had been without red wine since the phylloxera bug wiped out all the vines 100 years ago. Schatz and Prince Alfonso Hohenlohe were the forerunners and Bibiana García is lining up for a worthy succession. n

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Price guide

Per head for a three-course meal with wine

RESTAURANTS

Clericó

AMERICAN

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda.

Antonio Belón, 22, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 683.

Under €25

HARD ROCK CAFÉ

€25 – €40

Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

C/Ramón Areces, esq. Marina Banús, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 908 024

€40 – €60 €60 plus

Jacks Open seven days a week from noon till late. Puerto Banús, Tel: 952 813 625, Puerto Marina, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 563 673

INDIAN

INTERNATIONAL

RESTAURANTS

Yanx

GRILLS

Open from 9am Monday to Saturday and Sunday from 11am for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Centro Plaza, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 861

TGI Friday’s

GREEK

Open from 12pm to 12am. Avda. Muelle de Ribera, locales 4-5, Marina Banús, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 815 993

Tony Roma’s

FRENCH

Open from 1pm-4pm and from 7pm to 12am.

Ctra. de Cádiz, km.176, 29600, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 533

ARGENTINEAN Buenos Aires South

Open daily for dinner except Tuesdays. Puerto Banús (opp. the car park). Tel: 952 812 358

FRENCH Montecarlo

Asador guadalmina Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

Urb. Guadalmina Alta, C.C. Guadalmina, Local 3, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 883 003

El Carnicero Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Pueblo Viejo Cancelada. Between San Pedro & Estepona. Tel: 952 886 307

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Closed Tuesdays. Avda. Litoral s/n, Estepona, in front of the Palacio de Congresos. Tel: 951 273 994

El Carnicero 2

Nestor

El Coto

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Urb. Alzambra, Edif. Vasari, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 929 020

Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Ctra. de Ronda (El Madroñal), San Pedro de Alcántara.

Tel: 952 786 688

Valderrama Restaurant

El Gaucho

Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner only and on Sunday for Buffet Lunch. Apartado 1, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 132.2 Sotogrande, Cádiz. Tel: 956 791 200

Open daily for dinner from 7.30pm. Galerías Paniagua. Sotogrande. Tel: 956 795 528

GREEK Red Pepper Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Muelle Ribera, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 812 148

GRILLS Asador Criollo Grill

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 176, Marbella. Tel: 952 867 599

el rancho del puerto Open for lunch and dinner every day. Muelle Benabola 4, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 816 252

Grill del puerto Open for lunch and dinner every day. Muelle Ribera 47H, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 811 686

MARBELLA CLUB GRILL Open every night for dinner. Marbella Club Hotel. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 822 211

RESTAURANTS

AMERICAN

ARGENTINEAN

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. C/ Virgen del Pilar, 6, Marbella. Tel: 952 779 297

Tango

Open nightly for dinner. CN340-A7, km. 166, Cancelada, El Saladillo. Tel: 952 784 463

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Old Town Grill

829

Tel: 952 457 142

boulevard

Open Monday to Saturday for dinner and Sunday for lunch. C/ San Lázaro, 3, Pza. Victoria, Marbella. Tel: 952 867 306

Massala

alminar

Open daily for dinner. 57, Duquesa de Arcos (Sabinillas seafront). Tel: 952 897 358

puente romano beach club

Mughal village

Open Thursday to Monday for dinner. At the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona. CN 340, km. 159, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

Open for dinner from 8pm. Avda. La Fontanilla, esquina Paseo Marítimo, Marbella. Tel: 952 860 583

Open every day for lunch. CN 340, km 177, Marbella.

Tel: 952 820 900

Restaurante Rancho Open daily for lunch and dinner. Ctra. Cádiz, exit Las Chapas. Tel: 952 831 922

INDIAN indian dreams Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda. Duque de Ahumada, Paseo Marítimo 9, Marbella. Tel: 952 820 096

Jaipur purple Open daily for dinner except Tuesday. C.C. Costasol, local 3, Estepona. Tel: 952 888 353

khans Open every day for lunch and dinner. Front line Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 814 371

khans 2 Open daily for dinner. Edif. On Line, C/ Las Malvas, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella (opposite Andalucía Plaza Hotel). Tel: 951 319 161

Open Monday to Saturday from 6pm for dinner. Urb. Torrenueva, Mijas Costa. Tel: 902 463 426

Mumtaz Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Casa No.7, P. Banús. Tel: 952 812 090

safFron Open from 7 pm ‘til late night every day. Parque de Elviria, local 7-9, Las Chapas (take second exit, after Hotel Don Carlos), Marbella. Tel: 952 830 146

Taj Open daily for dinner and lunch on weekends and festive days. Urb. El Pilar 22 (near Benavista), CN 340, km 168, Estepona. Tel: 952 880 288

Taj Mahal Open daily for lunch and dinner. Private parking available. Ctra. Cádiz, km 179 (behind Venta los Pacos). Tel: 952 857 670/ 629 244 659

taj Mahal Open daily for dinner. C/ Los Jazmines 17B, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella. Tel: 952 814 719 / 952 906 832

INTERNATIONAL

Little India

al bacar

Open daily for dinner from 7pm. Conj. Buenavista, L 21-22, Avda. de España, Calahonda. Tel: 952 931

Open Friday for dinner and Saturday and Sunday for lunch and dinner. El Castillo de Monda s/n, Monda.

Amanhavis Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday from 8.00pm. Calle del Pilar 3, Benahavís. Tel: 952 856 026

Areté Open every day except Sunday for lunch and dinner.

C/ Mediterráneo, Edif. Mediterráneo, 1 (next to Marisquería Santiago), Marbella. Tel: 952 777 334

auld dubliner Open every day for lunch and dinner. C.C. Diana Park, Marbella. Tel: 952 886 338

baboo lounge and restaurant

Brunings Open for dinner Monday to Saturday from 7 pm. Las Palmeras 19, San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 786 156

Bubbles Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner and drinks from 7.30 pm. Plaza Antonio Banderas, Puerto Banús. Tel: 606 070 979

buddha beach Open every day for lunch and dinner. Urb. Villa Marina, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella. Tel: 952 813 882

Calima Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Hotel Meliá Don Pepe, C/ José Meliá, s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 764 252

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Winter season: closed Sunday and Monday nights.

Ctra. Arroyo de la Miel, s/n, Benalmádena. Tel: 902 102 675

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. C/ Calderón Estébanez 19, Marbella. Tel: 952 774 578

beach club restaurante grill

Casanis

Open every day for lunch. Hotel Fuerte, Castillo de San Luis s/n and Hotel Fuerte Miramar Spa, Plaza José Luque Manzano s/n, Marbella. Tel: 902 343 410

Open every day from 6pm except Sundays. C/ Ancha, 8, Marbella. Tel: 952 900 450

beach house Open daily for lunch and dinner. Urb. Coto de los Doles, Carril del Relojero, Elviria, Marbella. Tel: 952 839 458

Casa mono

celima Open every day for lunch and dinner. Hotel Hermitage, Ctra. de Casares, Casares. Tel: 952 895 639.

cerrado del águila Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Urb.

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INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANTS

Cerrado del Águila, Camino del Acevedo, s/n, Mijas Costa. Tel: 951 773 521

Chic brunch & café Open Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm for breakfast, lunch and snacks. Centro de Negocios Puerta de Banús, local 22, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 929 411

El Corzo

cortijo fain

Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner. Urb. Elviria Hills.

Avda. Las Cumbres s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 832 371

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Ctra. de Algar, km. 3, Arcos de la Frontera, Cádiz. Tel: 956 704 131

Deli-icious Open 9am to 6pm. C/Califa, Edif. La Maestranza, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 907 876

Don Leone Open every night for dinner. Puerto Banús, Marbella.

Tel: 952 811 716

Don Quijote Open every evening for dinner (7pm-12am.

Flamenco show on Sundays. Urb. El Rosario, km.

188, Marbella. Tel: 952 834 748

el bistro lounge de pan y mermelada

150

Open every day for lunch. Open for dinner on Friday and Saturday. CN 340, km. 168, Estepona. Tel: 952 880 126 Open daily for dinner. Hotel Los Monteros, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 187. Tel: 952 771 700

El lago

EL MIRADOR

Andalucía Plaza s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 814 000

El rincón de gVadalpín

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

Casas de Campos, 1, Málaga. Tel: 952 122 075

Open for lunch Friday to Sunday and dinner Tuesday to Saturday. Closed Monday. C/ Edgar Neville, s/n, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella. Tel: 952 929 001

hotel marbella club buffet

Fabiola

khala

Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sundays for lunch. Cortijo Los Canos, Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro, CN-340, km. 132, Sotogrande, Cádiz. Tel: 956 695 114 / 619 694 484

Open Monday to Saturday for dinner. NH Alanda Hotel, Marbella. Tel: 952 899 600

Open every day for lunch. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 822 211

LA biznaga Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sunday for lunch only. Ctra. Ronda, km. 46, Urb. Las Medranas, local 4, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 951 275 750

Open for breakfast every day. At the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Resort. CN 340, km. 159, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

Finca Besaya

el oceano beach hotel restaurant and spa

Finca El Forjador

La cabaña del mar

Open daily for lunch from 1-4pm, Wednesday to Sunday. Ctra. de Casares, km. 10. Tel: 952 895 120

Open every day for lunch and for dinner from Monday to Saturday. Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona CN 340, km 159, Playa El Padrón, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

Open every day for lunch and dinner. CN 340, km.

199, Marbella. Tel: 952 587 550.

EL OLIVO Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and Sunday for lunch. At Marbella Golf & Country Club.

CN 340, km. 188, Marbella. Tel: 952 830 500

El Patio de los Perfumes

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Urb. Rio Verde Alto, s/n. Tel: 952 861 382

Finca las brasas Open daily for lunch and dinner. Ctra. FuengirolaMijas, between CN 340 and highway. Tel: 952 580 513

Galeria San Pedro

LA CANTINA DEL GOLF Open for breakfast and lunch until 8pm. Closed Sunday. Flamingo Golf Club, Cancelada, Benahavís.

Tel: 951 318 815

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Urb. Marbella Real, Local 16, Marbella. Tel: 952 829 308

Open daily for dinner. C/Aduar 1, Casco antiguo, Marbella. Tel: 952 828 650

Open from 11am until midnight. Closed Sundays.

Avda Las Palmeras 15, San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 780 927

El Bolero

El Relicario

hermosa

Open every night for dinner from 8-11pm. The San Roque Club, CN 340, km. 127, Cádiz. Tel: 956 613 030

Open from Mon. to Sat. for dinner. C/La Concha 11, El Ingenio, San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 788 686

la fonda de marbella

El Restaurante del Casino

Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner from 7pm.

Closed Monday. Local 1A. Puerto de Cabopino. Tel: 952 837 483

El Campanario

Open every day for dinner from 8pm-4am. Hotel

Herrero del Puerto

La Hacienda

La Esencia Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner. Hotel Incosol, Urb. Golf Rio Real, s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 831 303 Open every night for dinner. C/ Los Caballeros, 4-6, Old Town, Marbella. Tel: 952 903 288

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Open for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday.

Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 193, Hacienda Las Chapas, Marbella. Tel: 952 831 267 / 831 116

km. 136. Playa Guadiaro, Torre-guadiaro, Cádiz. Tel: 956 615 998

La Loggia

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and every night for dinner. C.C. Guadalmina, Local 8, Edif. Barclays, Marbella. Tel: 952 928 610

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks. Hotel Villa Padierna & Flamingos Golf Club, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 166 (Cancelada exit), Benahavís.

Tel: 952 889 150

La Menorah

Lee’s bistro

LOS arcos Open every day for dinner. Hotel Meliá La Quinta.

Urb. La Quinta Golf s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 762 000

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Arena Beach, CN 340, km. 151.2, Estepona. Tel: 952 792 734

los bandidos

La Terraza

magna café

Open everyday lunch and dinner. Golf Hotel Guadalmina, Marbella. Tel: 952 882 211

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. C/ Calderón de la Barca, s/n. Tel: 952 929 578

La Terraza

marbella club beach club

Open daily for dinner. La Cala Resort, La Cala de Mijas, Mijas. Tel: 952 669 000

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 822 211

La Veranda

Open every night for dinner. Muelle Ribera, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 815 915

max beach

Miraflores Golf Restaurant

puente romano beach club

Open daily for Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 199. Urb. Riviera Golf. Tel: 952 931 941

Open daily for lunch. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

nikki beach

puro beach

Open Monday to Sunday for lunch until 8pm. Playa Hotel Don Carlos. CN340, km 192, Marbella. Tel: 952 836 239

Open every day for lunch and dinner. CN 340, km 159, Estepona (beside Kempinski Resort Hotel). Tel: 952 316 699

ocean club

Relais de Paris

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda. Lola Flores s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 908 137

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Paseo marítimo Benabola, s/n. Tel: 952 819 078

OCHO

roca tranquila

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. C/ Moncayo 12, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 460 232 / 648 502 822

Open every day for lunch and dinner except Monday.

Urb. Torreblanca de Sol, C/ Tortola, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 196 067

oyarbide

Rojo

Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sunday for lunch. C/ Acera de la Marina 4, Marbella. Tel: 952 772 461

Open every day for lunch and dinner except Sunday.

C/ Granada, 44, Málaga. Tel: 952 227 486

passion café

Open for lunch and dinner every day. Muelle Ribera 50H, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 816 940

Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner. Hotel Villa Padierna, Urb: Flamingos s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 889 150

Open for lunch and dinner every day. C.C. La Colonia, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 781 583

Open every day for lunch and dinner. CN 340, km.

198, Mijas. Tel: 952 932 780

La veranda lobby bar

Mc café

Open every day for lunch and dinner. At the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona. CN 340, km 159, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Marbella Club Hotel. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, s/n. Tel: 952 822 211

La Verandah

Messina

polynesian’s restaurant & cocktail bar

Open week days for dinner at 7:30pm and weekends for lunch and dinner, closed Tuesdays. Ctra. de Cádiz,

Open for dinner Monday to Saturday. Avda. Severo Ochoa, 12, Marbella. Tel: 952 864 895

Open every night for dinner. Urb. La Alcazaba, CN340, km 175, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 816 100

polo house Open daily for dinner from 7pm and Sunday Lunch, with club/dancing. CN 340, Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe 11, Marbella. Tel: 952 900 380

Salsa marinera

schilo Open Thursday to Saturday for dinner. Hotel Finca Cortesín. Crta. Casares s/n, Casares, Málaga. Tel: 952 937 800

sentidos Open every day for lunch and dinner. At Sentidos en Río Real Hotel. Urb. Río Real s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 732

shiraz

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Oriental ITALIAN INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANTS

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Puerto Deportivo, Local 15, Marbella. Tel: 952 778 334

Skina Open for dinner Monday to Saturday. C/ Aduar 12, Old Town, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 277

Small world café Open Monday to Friday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 9am-2am, Saturday and Sunday for lunch and dinner, 12.30pm-2am.. C.C. Le Village, local 15, Ctra. Istán km. 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 771 046

Starz Open Monday to Saturday for breakfast and lunch.

Centro Plaza, kiosko 3, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella.

Tel: 952 816 313

Suave Open every day for lunch and dinner. Paseo Maritimo Rey de España 93, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 866 627

SUi-to Dinner and afterwards dance to music by resident DJ. Thursday to Saturday. Hotel Puente Romano, Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

Swing Open from 12-4pm and 7.30pm until midnight.

Closed Wednesdays. Arena Beach, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 151, Estepona. Tel: 952 796 320

tanino Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. CN 340, km.168, Benamara, Estepona. Tel: 952 883 259

Terra Sana

152

Open Monday to Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nueva Andalucía next to the Casino. Tel: 952 906 205. Golden Mile, Marbella. Tel: 952 777 480.

Terra Sana Express@ ILounge. Avda Antonio Belón, 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 901 274. Marina Banús, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 817 977. C.C. Los Arcos, Elviria. Tel: 952 833 250. C.C. Laguna Village, Estepona. Tel: 951 901 050

Al Dente

The Clubhouse Bar & Brasserie

Aretusa

Open Tuesday to Sunday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Urb. Los Naranjos de Marbella, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 908 844

Open daily for dinner. Front line P. Banús. Tel: 952 812 898

The far isle

Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday 7pm until midnight. Avda. de la Constitución, corner C/ Andalucía, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 782 293

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner except Tuesday. Edif. Lubina Sol, Riviera Exit, CN 340, km. 198, Marbella. Tel: 952 935 039

The orange tree Open every evening from 6:30 pm-11 pm. Plaza General Chinchilla 1, Plaza de los Naranjos, Marbella.

Tel: 952 924 613.

Tikitano Beach Restaurant Re-opens 15th December, Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Guadalmansa, Ctra. de Cádiz, km.

164, Estepona. Tel: 952 792 820

trocadero playa Open every day for lunch and dinner. Playa Santa Petronilla, km 178, Marbella. Tel: 610 704 144

ITALIAN

Open 7 days a week for dinner. Closed on Mondays.

Urb. Jardines del Puerto, local 12, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 906 181

Amore e Fantasía Open every day for lunch and dinner from 7pm onwards. Muelle Benabola, Casa 5A, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 813 464

Caruso

Open everyday for lunch and dinner. Muelle Ribera, casa G-H, local 43, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 816 453

dalli’s pasta factory Open Monday to Friday for dinner and on Saturday and Sunday for lunch and dinner. Second Line Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 815 871 / 952 818 623

De Medici Open Monday to Saturday for dinner. Urb. El Pilar, C.C. Benapilar, Estepona. Tel: 952 884 687

gold restaurant Open every day from 10am to 12 am. Complejo Benabola 13, Beach Side, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 929 055

la brisa

Open daily for both lunch and dinner. C/Camilo José Cela 12, Marbella. Tel: 952 861 108

Open every night for dinner except for Wednesday and Thursday nights. Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona. CN 340, km. 159, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

Da Bruno

la pappardella di estepona

Open all day. Pasta Da Bruno: Avda. Ricardo Soriano, 27, Marbella. Tel: 952 860 348 – closed on Sunday.

Da Bruno Cabopino: CN-340 Km. 194,7. Tel: 952 831 918. Da Bruno a Casa: Marbella Mar, Local 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 857 521 – closed on Sunday.

Da Bruno A San Pedro: Avda. del Mar, local 1E,San Pedro. Tel: 952 786 860 – closed on Monday.

Da Bruno Sul Mare: Edif. Skol, Paseo Marítimo, Marbella. Tel: 952 903 318/19

Open every day for lunch and dinner from 1pm to midnight. Puerto Deportivo de Estepona. Tel: 952 802 144

Da Paolo

Lombardo’s

Casa Nostra

LA pappardella sul mare Open every day for lunch and dinner. C.C. Laguna Village, Estepona. Tel: 952 807 354

Leonardo da vinci Open every night for dinner. Urb. Doña Lola, Local 21-22, Calahonda, Mijas Costa. Tel: 952 934 667

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Open daily from 7pm. Galerías Paniagua, Sotogrande, Cádiz. Tel: 956 795 924

900

Luna Rossa Open daily for both lunch and dinner, closed on Sundays. Paseo Marítimo Benabola, local 12, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 810 543

MADE IN SARDINIA Open every night for dinner. C.C. Cristamar, Avda.

Julio Iglesias, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 906 608

Marco dallis Open daily for dinner. Avda. Fontanilla, Marbella.

Tel: 952 776 776

Metro Open every day for lunch and dinner. Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 907 037, Puerto Marina, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 446 460

Pizza Marzano Open every day for lunch and dinner.

C/ Ramón Areces, local 7, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 810 448

Pizzeria Picasso Open daily from 12 noon. Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 813 669

portofino laguna village

Prado, Via 1, local 2, Aloha Golf, Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 818 112

San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 896 508

Open Sunday to Friday for lunch and dinner and Saturday for dinner. C.C. Pinares de Elviria, s/n, Elviria, Marbella. Tel: 952 850 148

Villa Tiberio Open Monday to Saturday for dinner. Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 178, Marbella. Tel: 952 771 799

Open Tuesday to Saturday from 8-11pm. The San Roque Club, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 127, San Roque, Cádiz. Tel: 956 613 030

terraza dual

zafferano

meca

Open every day for lunch and dinner. C.C. Marbellamar s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 925 250

Open every night for dinner except Sunday. C/Gloria II, 11, Casco Antiguo, Marbella. Tel: 952 863 125

Open every day for lunch and dinner. C.C. Pino Golf, Don Carlos, Local 1, Elviria, Marbella. Tel: 952 830 365 / 658 646 829

Rosmarino della Piazza

saleto Open Monday to Saturday for dinner. Avda. del

Oriental Asia Food Open daily for lunch and dinner. Centro Comercial, Pinares de Elviria, Marbella. Tel: 952 850 060

Asiatico Zen Open every day for lunch and dinner except Tuesday lunch. C/Lirios s/n, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 817 691

Dragón de Oro Open every day from 12.30-4pm and 7pm until midnight. Closed Monday lunchtime. Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 141, Urb. Hacienda Guadalupe, Manilva. Tel: 952 890 956

Kaede

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. C.C. Laguna Village, Estepona. Tel: 952 808 035

Open every day for lunch and dinner. At the Hotel Meliá La Quinta. Urb. La Quinta Golf, Marbella. Tel: 952 762 059

Ristorante Roberto

Kaiden Sushi

Open daily for dinner. Beach Club, Hotel Puente Romano, CN-340, km 177.5, Marbella. Tel: 952 820

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Centro Com. Guadalmina Alta, Guadalmina 4, local 2, lower floor,

Kama Kura

Naga Open daily for lunch and dinner. Locales 18-21, C.C. Cristamar, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 815 319

naruto tokyo Open every day for lunch and dinner. C.C. Cristamar 24, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 811 827

Osaka Open every day 13:30-16:00 & 19:30-24:00. CN-340, km. 166 (Benavista). C.C. Costa del Sol. Tel: 952 885 751

Parlez moi d’amour Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Closed Mondays. C.C. Laguna Village, Estepona. Tel: 672 730 126

RestaurantE asiático Bangkok Open daily for lunch and dinner. P. de las Orquideas, C/ Iris, 11B, Edif. Excelsior no. 1, Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 813 603

Sakura

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GOLF

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda.

Jardines del Puerto, L.5, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 817 536

CINEMAS

Sapporo Open daily for lunch and dinner. C.C. Costa del Sol, upper level. CN-340, km. 166 (Estepona).

Tel: 952 888 710

Sukho Thai

CASINOS

Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday.

Centro Comercial Marbellamar. Tel: 952 770 550

Sushi des artistes Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

CN 340, km 178.5, Marbella. Easy parking. Tel: 952 857 403

bars

Sushi Katsura

SPANISH

Open for lunch from Monday to Friday and for dinner from Monday to Saturday. C/Ramón Gómez de la Serna, 5, Marbella. Tel: 952 863 193

Tai Pan Open seven days a week for dinner. H. Puente Romano, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 177, Marbella.

Tel: 952 777 893

Thai-china

SCANDINAVIAN

SEAFOOD

Open daily for lunch and dinner except for Tuesday lunch. CN 340, km 197, Calahonda.

Tel: 952 939 017

Restaurante La Marina Open every day from 1-4.30pm and 8pm until midnight. Paseo Marítimo s/n, La Atunara, La Linea de la Concepción, Campo de Gibraltar.

Tel: 956 171 531

La Torre Open daily for lunch and dinner. Muelle de Honor, Club de Mar, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 811 561

Marisquería La Pesquera Open daily for lunch and dinner. Plaza de la Victoria, Old Town, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 170

RestaurantE Eddy & Marisa’s Open for breakfast and lunch from 9am - 6pm.Urb. Coral Beach, The Golden Mile, Marbella. Tel: 952 824 534

Restaurante El bote Open every day for lunch and dinner. Paseo Marítimo Rey de España, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 660 084

SPANISH

Open seven days a week for dinner from 8pm.

CN-340, km.175, Edif. Rimesa, Bajos, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 392

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Plaza de la Iglesia, 5, Old Town, Marbella. Tel: 952 858 069

Wok Away

Casa de la era

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda.

Julio Iglesias, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 907 304

Open every evening for dinner. Ctra. de Ojén, km 0.5, Marbella. Tel: 952 770 625

Wok Buffet

Casa Fernando

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Urb. El Pilar, 22, Estepona. Tel: 952 887 092

Open from Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Avda. del Mediterráneo s/n, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 853 344

Open every day for lunch and dinner. C/ Camilo José Cela, C.C. Plaza del Mar, planta 0, local 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 925 478

Oriental

Tragabuches

Buenaventura

Wok Wang

Yuan Open every night for dinner. Hotel Torrequebrada, Benalmádena Costa. Tel: 952 441 414.

RESTAURANTS

Bajo 3, Marbella. Tel. 600 003 144

Open from 11am-4pm and 7.30-11pm every day except Mondays. Puerto Deportivo de Sotogrande, Cádiz. Tel: 956 790 370

Thai Gallery

SCANDINAVIAN Skandies Open Tuesday to Sunday from 7pm to 11pm.

Closed Mondays. Avda. Antonio Belón, 26 (behind the lighthouse), Marbella. Tel: 952 776 323

SEAFOOD

Hacienda Open from 1-4.30pm and 7.30 -11pm. Closed on Sunday afternoons and Mondays. Urb. La Alcaidesa, La Linea de la Concepción. Tel: 956 582 700

La Meridiana del alabardero Open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Mondays. Camino de la Cruz, Marbella. Tel: 952 776 190

la moraga Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. C/ Ramón Areces s/n, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 817 448

La Taberna del Alabardero

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Paseo Marítimo, 5, Marbella. Tel: 952 770 078

Open everyday for lunch and dinner except Monday. San Pedro Playa, Urb. Castiglone.

Tel: 952 785 138. Also at Ctra. de Ronda, km.

167, San Pedro. Tel: 952 786 265

Cipriano

Mesón el adobe

Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Playas del Duque, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 811 077

Open daily for lunch and dinner except Tuesdays. Avda. La Fontanilla, Edif. Balmoral,

Asador Santiago

154

El Barlovento

Open from Tuesday to Sunday for both lunch and dinner. C/José Aparacio,1, Ronda (pedestrian street between bullring and Parador). Tel: 952 190 291

bars Antes Disco Bar Relaxed atmosphere, free drink for the ladies every Friday and Saturday. Open 11pm ‘till dawn. R. Soriano, 38. Tel: 952 867 868

Astral Brilliant place for cocktails, beachfront, relaxed, live music. Playa Levante, Pto. Banús.

Tel: 610 015 815

Babylon Funky tunes, go-go dancers. Open Wednesday to Saturday, 10pm–3am. Second line, Pto. Banús. Tel: 625 856 225

Bambina Stylishly designed bar with funky lights and murals. Pasaje 5, Casco Antiguo, Marbella.

Blue Bar Cocktails, live entertainment and food. Local 1-2, Pto. Banús. Tel: 952 905 138

Clave Latina Disco-pub with live Latin music and shows.

Edif. La Terraza, Local 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 821 516

Colonial Café Disco-pub with funky house music and cool atmosphere. Open from 6pm–3am. Marbella port. Tel: 649 084 172

Delfi Caribbean beats and fresh seafood. Mar Playa Pinillos, CN-340, Km 158, Estepona. Tel: 952 796 960

Dreamers Holds 1,400 clubbers. Plays a mix of house and garage, go-go girls. CN-340, Km 175, Pto. Banús. Tel: 952 812 080

Elliot’s Close to Sotogrande Port and Santa Maria Polo Club with fine range of champagnes and cocktails.

El Ranchón Cubano Beach Bar Live music. Open on Tuesday and Wednesday from 8pm onwards, and from Thursday to Sunday from 3pm onwards. Urb. Luna Mar, Marbella. Tel: 666 770 921

Glam Open Friday to Saturday from midnight onwards. Edif. Gray d’ Albion, Pto. Banús. Tel: 952 817 820

Heaven Café House music with resident Djs. 2nd line Pto. Banús. Open Monday to Saturday, 9pm–4am.

Tel: 952 908 529

La Habana de Hemingway Cocktails and music lounge. Muelle Levante,

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Local 7, Ptp. Banús. Tel: 952 811 239

Linekers Sport Bar Well-established sports bar. Open 12 ‘til late.

Second line Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 812 464

Locos As the name suggests, a crazy pub! Open 11.30pm–4am with live music. Puerto Deportivo, Marbella.

Marbella Club Hotel Bar Live piano music. Exclusive. Open daily 6pm–1.30am. The Golden Mile, Marbella. Tel: 952 822 211

Megabowl 22 Lane bowling centre and sports bar for all ages. La Cañada, Marbella. Tel: 952 903 370

Mumbai Café Cosmopolitan crowd. Open daily 11am–3am.

Muelle Ribera, 20, frontline Puerto. Banús.

Tel: 952 818 695

Navy Disco Bar Dancing, live music and resident DJs. Behind Old Joy´s Pub in Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 817 170

News Café Very popular bar-café. Open daily from 9am–2am. Muelle Ribera 12, Puerto.Banús.

Tel: 952 812 131

Marítimo Rey de España, 3, Fuengirola. Tel: 677 086 466

Suite / suite del mar Host DJs playing funky sounds late into the night - the place to see and be seen. Hotel Puente Romano, Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

Taco Loco One of the original bars with a great party atmosphere. Frontline, eastern side, Pto. Banús. Tel: 952 811 438

Terra Blues

Plaza de la Libertad 2. Mijas. Tel: 952 590 380

AUDITORIO MUNICIPAL TORREMOLINOS Plaza de España, Recinto Ferial.

Tel: 952 379 521

AUDITORIO PARQUE DE LA CONSTITUCIÓN Marbella. Tel: 952 825 035

CENTRO CULTURAL EL INGENIO Garcia Morato, s/n. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 786 968

Open 11pm–dawn. Younger, alternative following. Plaza de la Comedia, Pto. Banús.

CINESA LA CAÑADA

the hogan stand

cines gran marbella

Popular Irish bar with live sports, live music and food. Monday-Thursday from 5pm.

Friday-Sunday from 11.30am. On the N340 San Pedro. Tel: 952 853 414

Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 810 077

Trocadero

Avda. Camilo José Cela, s/n. Fuengirola.

Tel: 952 800 056

Disco-pub, funky house beats with fantastic view. Overlooking Plaza Beach, Pto. Banús

La Cañada. Marbella. Tel: 902 333 231

cinesur C.C. Miramar, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 198 605

MULTICINES ALFIL

MULTICINES MEDITERRÁNEO

vanity

Mijas. Tel: 952 663 738

Exotic, glamorous night club alongside Meridiana Restaurant, Marbella. Table reservations, Tel: 622 811 323

PALACIO DE LA PAZ Recinto Ferial. Fuengirola. Tel: 952 589 349

TEATRO ALAMEDA Calle Córdoba 9, Málaga. Tel: 952 213 412

TEATRO CERVANTES

O’Brian´s

Ramos Marín, 199, Málaga. Tel: 952 224 109

Irish bar with live music on Tuesday and Thursday. Open everyday. Plaza de los Olivos, Marbella. Tel: 952 764 695

TEATRO CIUDAD DE MARBELLA

O’Grady’s

TEATRO SALON VARIETES

Disco pub open from 11pm-5pm. Muelle Ribera, Plaza Marina Banús. Puerto Banús.

Emancipación 30. Fuengirola.

Tel: 952 474 542

Old Joys

VERACRUZ CINES

Pub with relaxed terrace. Live music. Open from 7pm–4am. Muelle Ribera, Pto. Banús.

Tel: 952 814 283

Veracruz. Estepona. Tel: 952 800 056

Plaza Ramón Martínez, Marbella.

Tel: 952 903 159

YELMO CINEPLEX Plaza Mayor. Tel: 902 220 922

Olivia Valére

GOLF GUIDE

Looks like a Moorish fort outside and a palace inside. Ctra. Istán, Km 0,8, Marbella. Tel: 952 828 861

Alcaidesa Links 18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 956 791 0400. www.alcaidesa.com

Polo house Relaxed, colonial atmosphere hosted by James Hewitt on Marbella’s Golden Mile. Tel: 952 900 380

Alhaurín Golf

Premiere Club

Almenara Golf

Great live music most nights. Open from 9pm.

Plza. de los Olivos, Marbella. Tel: 649 995 277

27 holes, Par 72. Tel: 956 582 027. www.sotogrande.com

Rubi Bar

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 595 970. www.alhauringolf.com

CASINOS

Aloha Golf Club

Open every day. Both Spanish and international crowd. Puerto Deportivo, Marbella. Tel: 652 574 483

Casino Nueva Andalucía

Seven

Casino San Roque

The club for the sophisticated over 30’s crowd.

26 tables available for booking. Open every night. Avda. Julio Iglesias, Casa Y-Z, Puerto Banús. Tel: 696 566 036

CN340, Km124, San Roque T:956 780 100

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 882 812. www.master-hotels.com

Casino Torrequebrada

Cabopino Golf

CN340, Km220, Benalmádena T: 952 446 000

18 holes, Par 70. Tel: 952 850 282

Smile lounge music bar Funky and elegant bar bringing a touch of Marbella glamour to Fuengirola. Paseo

Hotel Andalucía Plaza, Km153. N. Andalucía T: 952 814 000

CINEMAS & THEATRES AUDITORIO MUNICIPAL MIJAS

18 holes. Tel: 952 907 085. www.clubdegolfaloha.com

Atalaya Golf

Cerrado del águila 18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 951 703 355

Club de Golf La Cañada 18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 956 794 100

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TRAIN

El Paraiso Club de Golf

Santa Clara Golf

18 holes, Par 71.

Tel: 952 883 835

18 holes. Tel: 952 850 111

Santa Maria Golf & Country Club

SPORTCLUB ROUTE 66

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 937 605. www.esteponagolf.com

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 831 036

Ctra. Mijas, 1.5km. Fuengirola. Tel: 952 461 648

Sotogrande Club de Golf

SPORTING CLUB ALHAMAR

Finca cortesín golf club

18 holes. Tel: 956 785 012

C.C. Alhamar. Calahonda. Tel: 952 934 684

18 holes, Par 72, Tel: 952 937 883. www.golfcortesin.es

Valderrama

SPORTING CLUB ATALAYA PARK HOTEL

POST OFFICES

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 956 791 200 www.valderrama.com

Flamingos Golf Club

Guadalmina Golf

Barquilla 1. Marbella. Tel: 952 776 240

MUSEUMS

TENNIS

Estepona Golf

Tai Chi & yoga. Pasaje Estrecho, Estepona.

Tel: 952 923 055

36 holes, Par 72.

Tel: 952 883 375

AZTEC COUNTRY CLUB

Almenara Golf Hotel & Spa

Urb. Riviera del Sol, Mijas-Costa.

Tel: 952 934 477

Avda. Almenara s/n. Sotogrande. Tel: 956 582 000

54 holes, Pars 71, 72 and 73.

Tel: 952 669 033. www.lacala.com

CENTRO DEPORTIVO EL FUERTE

Coral Beach

Av. El Fuerte s/n. Marbella. Tel: 952 861 624

Golden Mile. Marbella. Tel: 952 824 500

La Dama de Noche

CENTRO DE YOGA Y SALUD INTEGRAL

Gran Hotel Elba & Thalasso Spa

9 holes, Par 70.

Tel: 952 818 150

Ramón y Cajal 21. Marbella. Tel: 952 773 804

Urb. Arena Beach. Estepona. Tel: 952 794 308

CENTRO PLAZA GYM

Gran hotel gvadalpín Marbella

La Duquesa Golf & Country Club

Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 817 074

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 890 425

Cerrado del águila

Bulevar del Príncipe Alfonso Von Hohenlohe, Marbella. Tel: 952 899 400

La Quinta Golf

Mijas Costa, Málaga. Tel: 951 773 523

27 holes, Par 72.Tel: 952 762 390 www.laquintagolf.com

CLUB DEl SOL

Gran hotel gvadalpín puerto banús

La Reserva Sotogrande

Tennis /paddle classes. Calahonda.

Tel: 952 939 595

Arroyo El Rodeo, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella.

Tel: 952 899 700

18 holes. Tel: 956 695 209

FITNESS CENTRE NEW STYLE

Gran Meliá Don Pepe

La Zagaleta Golf & Country Club

José Meliá s/n. Marbella. Tel: 952 770 300

18 holes. Members only. Tel: 952 695 209

Amapolas, s/n Nueva Andalucía. T el: 952 817 916

Lauro Golf 18 holes

GIMNASIO ESTADIO

Mijas Golf, Marbella. Tel: 952 667 691

Alhaurín de la Torre. Tel: 952 412 767

Trav. Huerta de los Cristales, Marbella.

Tel: 952 828 217

Hotel Don Carlos

HAPPY DIVER’S CLUB

Hotel La Cala Golf La Cala de Mijas Tel: 952 669 000

Los Naranjos Golf Club

Atalaya Park Hotel, Marbella.

Tel: 609 571 920

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 815 206

HOTEL PUENTE ROMANO

Marbella Club Golf Resort

CN340, Km77,5. Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

Urb. La Quinta Golf, Marbella.Tel: 952 762 000

18 holes, Par 73. Tel: 952 113 239

MANOLO SANTANA RACQUETS CLUB

Hotel Puente Romano

Marbella Golf & Country Club

CN340, Km179. Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

18 holes. Tel: 952 830 500

Ctra. de Istán, Km2. Marbella.

Tel: 952 778 580

Mijas Golf

MARBELLA GUN & COUNTRY CLUB

36 holes, Par 70.

Tel: 952 476 843

Monda. Tel: 952 112 161

Avda. del Sol s/n, Benalmádena Costa.

Tel: 952 446 000

MARBELLA SPORT

Hotel Triton

Miraflores Golf

Km171.5. San Pedro Alcántara.Tel: 952 788 315

Avda. Antonio Machado, 29.Benalmádena Costa. Tel: 952 443 240

Monte Mayor Golf & Country Club

MULTI SPORT

Incosol Hotel Medical Spa

Avda. Picasso 27. San Pedro. Tel: 952 782 801

18 holes. Tel: 952 113 088

02 CENTRO WELLNESS

Urb. Golf Rio Real s/n. Marbella. Tel: 952 828 500

Parador Málaga del Golf

Plaza del Mar. Marbella. Tel: 952 900 420

Kempinski Hotel bahía estepona

18 holes. Tel: 952 381 255

P-E SPORTS CLUB

CN340, Km159. Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

Real Club de Golf Las Brisas

Marbella Club Hotel

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 810 875

Urb. Parcelas del Golf, Aloha Gardens, N.Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 357

Real Club de Golf Sotogrande

SATURNIA REGNA

NH Alanda Hotel & Spa

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 956 785 014

CN340, Km176,6. Marbella. Tel: 952 899 600

San Roque Club

Marbella Tel: 952 761 475, Elviria.

Tel: 952 834 835

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 956 613 030

SEVEN STARS SCHOOL

CN340, Km166, Exit Cancelada. Benahavís.

18 holes, Par. Tel: 952 889 157. www.flamingos-golf.com

Golf Río Real

GYMS & SPORTS CLUBS

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 756 733

ALHAMAR GYM

Vitality studio

Golf Torrequebrada

C.C. Alhamar, CN-340 km 197. Tel: 952 934 684

C.C. Le Village, Marbella. Tel: 952 902 362

18 holes, Par 72.

Tel: 952 442 742

GOLF

GYMS

HOTELS

La Cala Golf Resort

Los Arqueros Golf & Country Club 18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 952 784 600

18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 952 931 960

156

CN340, Km 168,5. Estepona.

Tel: 952 888 212

ATENAS

TICKET-TO-RIDE Cristamar, Pto. Banús. Tel: 952 905 082

HOTELS

hotel gvadalpín byblos

CN340, Km192. Marbella. Tel: 952 831 140

Hotel Meliá La Quinta

Hotel Torrequebrada

CN340, Km180. Marbella. Tel: 952 822 211

Villa Padierna

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San Pedro

SENTIDOS Hotel

Pizarro, 41. Tel: 952 780 393

CN340, Km 166.5, Estepona. Tel: 952 889 040

CN340, Km185, Urb. Golf Rio Real s/n.

Marbella.

Tel: 952 765 732

Aztec Country Club

Alanda Carib Playa

Sunset Beach Club

CN340, Km 194. Tel: 952 902 537

Alanda Club Marbella

Avda. del Sol, 5. Benalmádena Costa.

Tel: 952 579 400

CN340 Km192. Marbella. Tel: 952 902 537

Tamisa Golf Hotel

Amanhavís Hotel & Restaurant

Camino Viejo de Coín. Km 3.3. Mijas Golf.

Tel: 952 585 988

Tel: 952 889 150

AGH Estepona

C/ Pilar 3. Benahavís. Tel: 952 856 026

Atalaya Park Hotel CN340, Km168,5. Estepona. Tel: 952 889 000

HOTEL PYR MARBELLA

barceló golf

Avda. Rotary International, s/n, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 817 353

C/ de Granadillas, s/n. Urb. Guadalmina Alta, Marbella. Tel: 952 889 099

Beatriz Palace & Spa

MUSEUMS

TENNIS CLUBS Urb. Riviera del Sol, Mijas-Costa. Tel: 952 934 477

Club deL Sol Tennis/paddle classes. Calahonda. Tel: 952 939 595

Club de tenis don carlos Hotel Don Carlos, CN340, km 192.

Tel: 952 831 739

Club Internacional de Tennis Ctra. Cádiz, km 173. Marbella. T el: 952 813 341

Club Madroñal

CN340, Km207. Fuengirola. Tel: 952 922 000

Basilica Vega del Mar

Benahavís. Tel: 617 647 223

Benabola Apart Hotel

San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 781 360

Club Nueva Alcántara

Benabola. Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 815 000

Bonsai Museum

San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 788 315

CALEDONIA GOLF Aparthotel & spa

Parque Arroyo de la Represa. Marbella.

Tel: 952 862 926

Lew Hoads Tennis Club

CN340, km 165, Cancelada exit. Estepona.

Tel: 952 889 999

Bull-fighting Museum

Ctra. de Mijas, Km 3,5. Mijas.

Tel: 952 474 858

Plaza de Toros. Estepona.

Manolo Santana Racquets Club

Golf Hotel Guadalmina

Museo Cortijo Miraflores

Guadalmina Baja. Marbella. Tel: 952 882 211

Marbella. Tel: 952 902 714

Ctra. de Istán, Km2. Marbella.

Tel: 952 778 580

Gran Hotel Benahavis

Museo de Bella Artes

Miraflores Tennis Club

Huerta de Rufino, Benahavís. Tel: 902 504 862

C/ San Agustin 8. Málaga. Tel: 952 218 382

Museo del Grabado

Urb. Miraflores, Km199. Calahonda.

Tel: 952 932 006

HM gran hotel costa del sol

Hospital Bazán. Marbella. Tel: 952 825 035

Puente Romano Hotel

La Cala de Mijas, Mijas Costa. Tel: 952 587 710

Museo de la Villa

Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

Plaza de la Libertad 2. Mijas. Tel: 952 590 380

Tenis El Casco

Hotel El Fuerte

Museo Ralli

Avda. El Fuerte, s/n. Marbella. Tel: 952 861 500. Spa & Beauty Miramar. Tel: 952 920 000

Urb. Coral Beach. Marbella. Tel: 952 857 923

El Rosario. Marbella.

Tel: 952 837 651

Hotel Fuerte Miramar Spa

Carrera 39. Ojén. Te1l: 952 881 453

Pl. José Luque Manzano. Marbella.

Tel: 952 768 400. Spa & Beauty Miramar.

Tel: 952 768 410

Museum of Miniatures Carromato de Max

Hotel Meliá Marbella

Pablo Ruiz Picasso Foundation

CN340, Km175. Pto. Banús. Tel: 952 810 500

Plaza de la Merced 15. Málaga. Tel: 952 060 215

Hotel Playa Bonita CN340, Km217. Benalmádena Costa.

Tel: 952 442 840

Museum of Málaga Wines

El Compas. Mijas. Tel: 952 489 500

Picasso Museum Málaga

Hotel Princess Playa

Palacio de Buenavista, C/ San Agustín 8.

Málaga.Tel: 952 127 611

Paseo Marítimo. Marbella. Tel: 952 820 944

Roman Public Baths

Hotel Riu Rincón Andaluz

Gualalmina Baja. Tel: 952 781 360

CN340, Km173. N. Andalucía. Tel: 952 811 517

POST OFFICES

Hotel Selenza

Calahonda

CN340, Km165, Estepona. Tel: 952 899 499

C.C. El Zoco. Tel: 952 932 175

H10 Andalucía Plaza

El corte inglés

CN340 Km 174. Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 812 000

Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 909 990 Fuengirola.Tel: 952 467 843

NH Marbella

Estepona

C/ Conde Rudi, s/n. CN340, Km178. Marbella.

Tel: 952 763 200

C/ Málaga 82–84. Tel: 952 800 537

NH SAN PEDRO

Pza. los Chinorros. Tel: 952 474 384

C/ Jerez 1, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 853 040

Marbella

Parador de Ronda

Nueva Andalucía

Plaza de España, s/n. Ronda. Tel: 952 877

C/ Jazmines. Tel: 952 810 887

Fuengirola

Jac. Benavente, 14. Tel: 952 772 898

TRAIN Customer assistance T: 952 128 267 General Info T: 902 240 202 Reservations T: 902 240 202 Ave T: 952 128 079 essential marbella magazine

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family fun

Congo Come face to face with the world’s largest spider and visit a real rainforest. Inside Tivoli World.

Tel: 952 575 697 Crocodile Park Pose with the offspring of the half-tonne adult crocodiles. Open 10am-6pm. C/ Cuba, 14, Torremolinos. Tel: 952 051 782 El Refugio del Burrito Visit this donkey sanctuary just 40 minutes north of Málaga. Open 11am7pm. Fuente de Piedra, Málaga. Tel: 952 735 513 Fuengirola Zoo Go to mysterious Madagascar, Africa and the Far East. Open 10am-6pm. C/ Camilo José Cela, 6. Tel: 952 666 301 Funny Beach Kids paradise with go-karts, trampolines, mini-motorbikes, mechanic bull. Open daily.

East side of Marbella. Tel: 952 823 359

Ice Skating Rink and Indoor Swimming Pool New sports centre with public ice skating, inAFA Marbella – Football Academy Football

SCHOOLS

street markets

Academy for boys and girls of all ages, just opposite La Cañada in Marbella. Training is on Mondays and Wednesdays. Call Craig on 609310409 for more info. www.afamarbella.com Born to be Wild Jeep and dolphin Eco-tours for the whole family. Open 9am-8pm. Blue Dolphin Beach Club, Estepona Beach. Tel: 639 720 246 Cable Ski Marbella Water ski cable system and pool. Open 11am-9pm (closed Mondays). Urb. Las Medranas, San Pedro. Tel: 952 785 579

Aloha College Ages 3-18.

Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 814 133

Angela’s School Ages 6-14. Marbella.

Tel: 952 823 042

Calahonda International College Ages 3-18. Tel: 952 930 080

Calpe School Ages 3–8. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 786 029

Childrens placE Bilingual nursery

Ages 3–20. Elviria.

Tel: 952 831 058/9

Monseñor Rodrigo Bocanegra

Fiona Jones School of Dance

Ages 3-16. Marbella.

Tel: 952 770 077

Ages 9–14. Manolo Santana Racquets Club. Fuengirola. Tel: 610 764 439

Hijas de María Auxiliadora Ages 3-12. Marbella.

Tel: 952 771 396

III language schools

Colegio Alborán

San Pedro. Tel: 952 778 492 Marbella. Tel: 952 822 191 Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 908 558 Estepona. Tel: 952 794 059

Ages 3-18. Ricmar. Tel: 952 839 645

Inlingua Language School

Colegio Alemán

All ages. Marbella. T: 952 774 942

Ages 3-18. Elviria. Tel: 952 831 417

the InteRnational SCHOOL of ESTEPONA Ages 2-12.

Atalaya, Estepona. Tel: 952 928 444

Colegio Las Chapas Ages 5–18, girls school. Elviria. Tel: 952 831 616

Colegio San José Guadalmina Tel: 952 883 858 Estepona.

Tel: 952 800 148 Dolphin Nursery Ages 6 months-5 years. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 799 563 Ecos College Ages 1–18. Elviria.

Tel: 952 831 027

English InteRnational College

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door pool, children’s pool. Avda. García Lorca, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 577 050 Jayne Melville Performing Arts Courses at all levels: ballet, tap, jazz/modern, hip-hop/street, drama, mime and singing. London Studio Centre. Tel: 952 906 865 Karting Club Málaga Go-kart circuit for kids and adults who feel a need for speed. Open 10am-midnight. Ctra. De Coin, Mijas Costa. Tel: 952 581 704 Natura Aventura Theme Park Rock climbing wall, pot holing, kayaks, quads, archery, paintball etc.

Estepona. Tel: 952 884 789

C/ Santa Beatriz, San Pedro. Tel: 902 011 077 Original Dolphin Safari Watch, touch and swim with dolphins. Open 10am-5pm. Marina Bay, Gibraltar. Tel: 9567 71 914 Paint & Fun Ceramic Café Ceramic painting studio closed Mondays. Apt for all ages. C/ García Morato 8, El Ingenio, San Pedro. Tel: 952 783 884 Parque Acuático Mijas Thrills and spills to be had in this family friendly water park. Open daily from 10am. Fuengirola by-pass. Tel: 952 460 404 Plaza Mayor Family entertainment with multiscreen cinema, bars, restaurants, bowling alley and kids play area. Málaga. Tel: 952 247 580 Saturday Club Ages 6 to 12, tennis, martial arts, skating, aerobics, dance and ball games. Open 9.30am-2pm. Route 66, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 448 713 Sealife Centre See 2 metre long sharks. Touch pools and walk-though glass tunnel. Open daily 10am-6pm. Benálmadena Port. Tel: 952 560 150 Selwo Adventure Park Over 2,000 animals, 4x4 tours, plus adventure activities. Open 10am-9pm.

CN340 Km 162.5, Estepona. Tel: 902 190 482 Selwo Marina Dolphins, exotic birds, penguins and virtual reality shows. Open 10am-6pm. Parque de la Paloma, Benalmádena. Tel: 902 190 482 Steam Train Ride Enjoy a steam train ride crossing the Andalusian mountains with a scenic trip from

street markets

San Roque to Ronda. Tel: 952 931 186 Swim Bebé Swim Swimming classes for under 4’s and AquaNatal classes for mums-to-be. Tel: 617 520 588 / 609 474 038 Swim Squad Swimming lessons and Pool Parties.

Professionally run by fully ASA qualified swimming teachers and lifesaving staff. Child protection approved. Tel: 697 714 905 Teleférico Benalmádena Cable car to top of Calamorro mountain, falconry, trekking and horseriding. Arroyo de la Miel. Open 10am-6pm. Tel: 902 190 482 Tennis Camp Tennis lessons for kids from 4 years on, with professional coaches. Open 10am-1pm.

Club del Sol, Calahonda. Tel: 952 939 595 The Music Factory Music, dance and drama academy in Mijas Costa. First class free. Hip hop, ballet, tap, modern, yoga and freestyle. Tel: 952 582 077 The Swimming School (Marbella) Professionally run Learn to Swim ASA swimming courses for children aged 4-12. Tel: 657 581 961 Tivoli World Biggest amusement park on the Costa del Sol. Open daily from 1pm. Avda. de Tivoli, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 577 016 Trenecito de Marbella Take a relaxing way to view the main sights of Marbella. Daily 10am-1pm.

Paseo Maritimo. Tel: 639 765 981

Avda. Juan Carlos II, 9am2:30 pm

Las Chapas

Thursday Alhaurín El Grande

Calahonda

Performing Arts Academy

Monday Marbella

Ages 3-18. Marbella.

Tel: 952 906 865

Fairground (Avda. de Juan Alameda), 9am-2:30pm

By the Guardia Civil Offfices, City Centre, 9am-1pm

Saturday Maro

Peter Pan School

Tuesday

Vélez Málaga

Ages 0-3. Bilingual nursery. San Pedro. Tel: 952 782 051 Benalmádena.

Tel: 952 562 103

Monda. C/ Los Huertos, 8am-2:30pm

Close to the Nerja Caves, 9am-1pm

Nerja

Opposite the Guardia Civil Offices, City Centre, 9am-1pm

Saint George’s School

C/ Chaparil, 9am-1pm

Torre del Mar

C/ Urbano Pineda, 9am1pm

Ages 2-8. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 786 606

Churriana

Avda. Europa, 9am-1pm

La Cala

9am-1pm

Málaga

Recinto Ferial, 9am-1pm

St. Javier’s International School

Fuengirola

Opposite the Guardia Civil Offices, City Centre.

9am-1pm

Mijas Costa

Torremolinos

Near bullring, 9am-1pm

El Calvario, near Town Hall, 9am-1pm

Nueva Andalucía

Ages 1-7. Marbella.

Tel: 952 823 457

Stagecoach Theatre Arts School

Recinto Ferial (close to the CN340, on the same side as the bullring), 9am-2:30pm

Wednesday

La Víbora, 9am-2pm Calypso, 9am-2pm

Coín

Las Lagunas, 9am-2pm

Puerto Banús

International School OF Sotogrande

Ages 4-16. Tel: 952 900 453

Alhaurín de la Torre. Avda. del Limón, 9am-2pm

Sunny View School

Benalmádena Costa

Ages 2–18. Sotogrande.

Tel: 956 795 902

Ages 2–18. Torremolinos.

Tel: 952 383 164 Swans Ages 3–12. Marbella Tel: 952 773 248

(Second hand items) Recinto Ferial, 10am-2pm

By the sports pavilion, in the Divina Pastora district, 9am-2pm

La Cala

Friday

Recinto Ferial, 9am-2:30pm

Recinto Ferial, 9am-1pm

Málaga

TLC Tutorial College

Calahonda

Ages 13-18. Calahonda.

Tel: 952 933 249

Calypso, 9am-2pm

Rincón de la Victoria, Málaga.Plaza de la Iglesia, 9am-1pm

Istán

Benalmádena

Estepona

wendy kindergarten

At the entrance to the town, 9am-2pm

In the area between Tivoli World and the Plaza San Pedro, 9am-1pm

Puerto Deportivo, 9am-1pm

Laude San pedro international college Ages 2–18. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 799 900

Mayfair Academy Ages 4-18.

Atalaya Park, Estepona.

Tel: 952 784 923

Ages 4 months - 5 years. Marbella.

Tel: 952 772 910

Estepona

San Pedro

Next to the bullring. Park near CN340 and walk upwards, 9am-1pm

Sunday Fuengirola.

Next to Rosaleda football stadium, 9am-2pm

Sotogrande At the Marina, 9am-1pm

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THEBLOG PETS

Report Marisa Cutillas

Goodybe Daddy

Learn to groom dog and cats at Posh Pets Spain Do you have a dog like a poodle, Bichon Maltese or Yorkie, which is difficult to groom and requires frequent visits to the vet or pet groomer to look its personal best? If you’ve always wished you could groom your pet yourself, the good news is that now you can learn how at Posh Pets Spain, a local shop and training school that formulates flexible study plans to teach you exactly what you need to learn.

For a taster of what you can achieve with Posh Pets Spain, try the one-day course which runs from 10am to 3:30pm. It is specially designed for owners wishing to learn to groom their own breed or enable potential professionals to get a feel for the work and a greater understanding of what grooming is all about.

There is a longer, five-day course for budding pros, which will teach you about health and safety, uses of grooming equipment, pet handling, brushing and de-matting, correct bathing and drying procedures.

A third course is aimed at groomers who wish to learn advanced clipping and scissoring techniques.

i Finca Margarita, Camino de la Dehesa B-A, Alhaurín el

Grande. Tel: 952 597 035. www.poshpetsspain.com

Any self respecting dog lover is undoubtedly a fan of Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan, the trainer who teaches us (through books and his television show) how to have happy, confident dogs by showing them that we, not they, are ‘leader of the pack’. On Cesar’s show, he was always accompanied by his best friend and co-teacher, Daddy the pit bull. We are sad to report that Daddy has passed away following chemotherapy for cancer, which in the end he was unable to beat.

Daddy was 16 years old and had been with Cesar since he was a four-month-old pup. Cesar used to say that Daddy possessed a ”natural balanced energy which made him a perfect candidate for rehabilitating other dogs, particularly those with dog-aggressive issues. Daddy didn’t react unless he was given a command to react, and his calm-submissive energy was contagious.” Daddy was particularly tolerant with smaller dogs, allowing them to climb over him and even sleep on top of him with no complaints.

Daddy also knew whenever Cesar’s family members were sad, lying at their feet and asking for affection whenever another animal seemed ‘down’. Cesar recently addressed his final, emotive words to Daddy: “Cesar Millan, all his family and friends, his staff and volunteers and dog lovers all around the world today will mourn the passing of one of the most loyal, trusting, well-balanced, and influential pit bull ambassadors the world has ever known. Daddy, Cesar’s longtime friend and partner in canine rehabilitation, died peacefully surrounded by family on Friday the 19th of February. He was 16 years old. He lived each day of those 16 years happy and fulfilled as Cesar’s right-hand-‘man’, helping to shape the behavior of entire generations of dogs by showing them the way to balance. He stood as champion for calm-submissive pit bulls everywhere, and was instrumental in helping to repair their image as violent, savage, uncontrollable beasts.” R.I.P. Daddy.

‘Cutest Dog’ winner give $1 million to needy shelters Who would ever have thought that you could win one million dollars just by sending in a photo of your pooch? That’s exactly what happened to US doctor Leslie Capin who entered a picture of her chihuahua, Dr, Papidies, in the All American Pet Brands’ Cutest Dog Competition. Leslie’s little pooch beat 60,000 other entrants and the award couldn’t have gone to a better owner. Leslie has vowed to donate the entirety of her win to shelters, and she set up a charitable trust for this purpose.

Dog looking for a home: Lucy the Springer Spaniel If you’re ready and willing to provide a ‘forever home’ for a needy dog, why not make Lucy the Springer Spaniel the latest addition to your family? Lucy is a sweet female who was living on a building site with her puppies, who were killed before her very eyes. She was taken in briefly to a foster home, but was given up because the foster owner had too many females in heat, which led to fighting. Lucy is now living in a little hut and is visited once a day by her former foster owner for feeding. She urgently needs adoption or sponsoring for sterilisation, vaccinations, etc.

i For further information, please contact Eliane of Animal Angels on Tel: 686 569 028. cbuendiaf@hotmail.com

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THEBLOG WHAT’S ON IN may uuWHAT’S ON IN may uuWHAT’S ON IN may uuWHAT’S ON IN may uuWHAT’S on IN may uuWHAT’S on

WHAT’S ON

MAY EVENTS

Monthly on different days AMERICAN CLUB – MARBELLA This young dynamic chapter of the American Club Costa del Sol meets monthly for lunches, excursions, sports and social events for members and guests. Activities include a swim/spa/sauna on the1st and 2nd Mondays of each month, a mother/child playgroup on Fridays, movie nights and many other regular happenings. Further information, www.americanclubcostadelsol.com AMIGOS DE LA CULTURA – COSTA DEL SOL One of the oldest cultural clubs in Marbella meets at different times/places for lunches, lectures and the best tickets to concerts, ballet, theatre, opera, etc. Further information, Tel: 669 445 809/ smartkidsmarbella@gmail.com

Until Sunday May 2 FERIA DE LOS PUEBLOS – FUENGIROLA Fun for all the family at this annual event (starting April 29) which unites the town’s many nationalities in a spectacular display of their culture and customs, with live music, folkloric shows, traditional food and much more, daily until late at the fairground. Further information, Tel: 952 467 457/ www.fuengirola.org

Until Sunday May 9 EXHIBITION – MARBELLA Drawings by Manuel Augusto García de Viñolas, Picasso, Vázquez Díaz, Canogar and more, Museo Cortijo Miraflores. Further information, www. marbella.es EXHIBITION – MÁLAGA Málaga Contemporary Arts Centre presents Jack Freak Pictures, a touring exhibition by contemporary artists Gilbert & George. Further information, Tel: 952 120 055/ http://cacmalaga. org

Until Saturday May 29 EXHIBITION – MARBELLA Talking Torques, paintings and drawings by Jo Milne at R Galeria. Open Tuesday-Friday, 10am2pm and 5-9pm, Saturdays, 10am-2pm. Further information, www.rgaleria.com

Through May & June-July 7 EXHIBITION – FUENGIROLA Photographs by Andrés Solís and Antonio Bravo at Collective Image, Puebla Lucía. Further information, www.fuengirola.org

Saturday May 1 MAY DAY – NATIONAL PUBLIC HOLIDAY CONCERT – FUENGIROLA Concert by the Joven Orquesta Provincial de Málaga, 8.30pm, Palacio de la Paz. Further information, www.fuengirola.org SARDINE FESTIVAL – LA CALA La Cala celebrates May Day with a sardine festival, cooked on skewers on the beach. Further information, www.mijas.es

Every Saturday and Sunday KIDS’ CAMP – MARBELLA Aloha Gardens Multi-Sports Club weekend camp for 4-14 year-olds, 10.30am-1pm. Activities include tennis, football, cricket, basketball, hockey, handball, paddle tennis. Further information, Tel: 952 814 086.

Every first Sunday of the month OPEN DAY – MIJAS PAD animal shelter, Cerros del Aguila, welcomes visitors from 12-3pm. Further information, Tel: 952 486 084/ info@padcatsanddogs.org

Every Tuesday BRIDGE CLUB – CASARES costa Friendly Duplicate Bridge, 6.45pm at the Albayt Resort (exit A7 at km. 149.2), plenty of free parking. Partner not needed, all players will be accommodated. Further information from Paul, Tel: 952 890 199/ cbc@pageseuro.net

Every Tuesday and Wednesday LANGUAGE WORKSHOPS – MIJAS PUEBLO Spanish/English and English/Spanish conversation with fellow native speakers, 10am-11.30am.

Inscription/further information, Mijas Town Hall Foreigner’s Department, Tel: 952 589 010/ frd@ mijas.es

Every first Wednesday of the month CULTURE & COCKTAIL – MARBELLA The Asociación de Arte y Cultura Marbella monthly cocktail party at Magna Café, Magna Marbella Golf. Further information, www.culturamarbella. org/ lorraine@culturamarbella.org

Every Wednesday TOASTMASTERS CLUB – MARBELLA Weekly meeting of this public speaking organisation, 7.30pm at Aloha Gardens, Nueva Andalucía, above Café El Jardin. Further information, http://theachievers.freetoasthost.org BRIDGE CLUB – CASARES COSTA Duplicate Bridge Club meets 7pm at the Centro

Comercial, Urb. Marina de Casares. Partners found for single players. Further information, Tel: 952 893 633/ cbc@pageseuro.net.

Every Wednesday & Thursday CINE CLUB – MARBELLA Cine Club Buñuel shows films in their original language, Marbella Instituto Río Verde, 8pm and 10.15pm, entry €3. Further information, Tel: 952 774 638.

Every Thursday CINE CLUB – ESTEPONA Top films shown weekly in Spanish or original soundtrack, Padre Manuel Cultural Centre, 9pm.

Entry €3. Further information, Tel: 952 802 002/ www.estepona.es DINE & DANCE – MARBELLA New season of dining and dancing with live music (rumba, salsa, disco, tango) by popular local duo Pilar and Carlos, at Da Bruno Sul Mare, Edif. Skol, from 9.30pm. Further information, Marta Olea, Tel: 636 466 179/ www.dabruno.com

Friday May 7 WINE TASTING - MARBELLA The Wine Appreciation Society of Marbella hosts a lunch and tasting of wines from the bodega Yllera at El Rincon de Gvadalpin restaurant. Cost 50€ per person, including the tasting and wines with the meal. Tasting at 1pm and lunch at 2pm. Further information from Garry Waite, Tel: 629 273 756.

TANGO NIGHTS – MARBELLA Producciones Lastra presents a new Noches de Tango show with the Compañía Milton y Romina, 9pm, Teatro Ciudad de Marbella. Tickets, €18 from the box office. Further information, Tel: 952 903 159.

CONCERT – ESTEPONA The Municipal Band presents Música de Cine, 8pm, Padre Manuel Cultural Centre. Further information, www.estepona.es

Further information, www.marbella.es

Saturday May 8, 15, 22, 29 THEATRE – MARBELLA Children’s puppet show, Cuento y Guiñol, 5.30pm, entry €5; and the play Media de Eurípedes, 9pm, entry €10, both at the Black Box Theatre. Further information, Tel: 952 779 172/www.marbella.es

Sunday May 9 ROMERÍA – ESTEPONA Traditional pre-feria picnic at Parque Los Pedregales in honour of San Isidro Labrador.

Further information, www.estepona.es

Monday May 10 NADFAS LECTURE – FUENGIROLA Lee Miller and Picasso by Anthony Penrose, 4.30pm, Salon Variètes Theatre. For information on other social events or membership, contact Pauline, Tel: 952 382 713.

Every second Tuesday of the month JAZZ – ESTEPONA The coast’s Jazz Appreciation Society meets at Benavista Country Club, 8pm. Classic videos followed by a live jazz performance plus dinner. To book, Tel: 952 888 106. Further information from Brian Parker, Tel: 669 504 942.

May 12-16 FERIA – ESTEPONA All the fun of the local feria with casitas, flamenco displays, traditional Spanish cuisine and a fun fair.

Further information, www.estepona.es

Saturday May 15

ART EXHIBITION – LOS BOLICHES Paintings and sculptures by members of the Asociación Española de Pintores y Escultores, Tenencia de Alcaldía, inauguration on 7th at 8.30pm. Further information, www.fuengirola.org

DINNER & SHOW – MARBELLA The Hotel Puente Romano presents Jersey Boys, the award-winning documentary-style musical based on 1960s group Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, during a gala dinner at The Salon Andalucía. Tickets, €100 + IVA, include cocktail, canapés and dinner with wine. To reserve, Tel: 952 820 900.

CONCERT – MARBELLA Musica con Encanta presents Primavera Barroca with Alejandro Tuñón (violin) and Ignacio Torner (harpsichord) playing works by Corelli, Purcell, Handel and other Baroque composers, 8.30pm at Iglesia de la Virginia. Tickets €25 from Fnac La Cañada or Tel: 689 000 944.

DANCE – FUENGIROLA Show by pupils from the Alicia Iranzo Dancing Academy, 6.30pm and 9pm, Palacio de la Paz. Further information, www.fuengirola.org NIGHT OF THE MUSEUMS – MÁLAGA The Museo Picasso Málaga celebrates this annual event along with hundreds of museums all over Europe by opening from 8pm-midnight, with music and activities as well as an opportunity to view the collections. Further information, Tel: 952 127 600/ www.museopicassomalaga.org

Saturday May 8

Monday May 17-September 5

FAMILY CONCERT – MARBELLA Continuing Musical Saturdays, a series of classical concerts by promising local youngsters for all the family, 6pm, Palacio de Congresos, entry free.

EXHIBITION – MÁLAGA Picasso Horses, exploring the horse motif through 50 works by Picasso alongside engravings of Francisco de Goya’s Los Disparates, and prints of La

Friday May 7-9 and 21-23 PADDLE TOURNAMENTS – ESTEPONA Estepona Paddle Tennis Championships, Municipal Sport Centres. Further information, www. estepona.es

Friday May 7-11 THEATRE – FUENGIROLA Alan Ayckbourn’s frantic farce, Taking Steps, Salon Variétes Theatre, nightly at 8pm, Sunday at 7pm.

Box office, Tel: 952 474 542, open Monday-Friday from 10.30am-1.30pm and 7-8pm. Further information, www.salonvarietestheatre.com

Friday May 7-26

Gilbert & George

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Hungry Heads, by artist Charlotte Gordon

1.30pm and 7-8pm. Further information, www. salonvarietestheatre.com

Saturday, Sunday, May 22, 23

Caballeriza de Don Juan de Austria, based on 16thcentury drawings by Jan Straet. The exhibition includes photographs of the cities in which Picasso spent his youth. Further information, Tel: 952 127 600/ www.museopicassomalaga.org

Tuesday May 18

OPEN STUDIOS – MIJAS PUEBLO Arte Mijas, the fourth edition of this popular annual event when 18 artists open their studios to the public and demonstrate their techniques, from 11am-8pm on both days. An exhibition of their work can also be seen from May 7-23 at the Casa Museo, themed Artealimenta (Food and Art). Route maps to the 18 studios from the Casa Museo. Further information, Tel: 952 590 380/ http://artemijashomepage.blogspot.com REGATTA – MARBELLA III Grand Prix Costa del Sol yacht races start midday on Saturday, 11.30am on Sunday from Marbella Port, organised by the Club Marítimo de Marbella. Further information, www.gpcostasol. es

Sunday May 23

Tuesday May 18-June 14

CUDECA WALKATHON – BENALMÁDENA COSTA Starts 9.30am from the Sunset Beach Club promenade, with a choice of three routes (10km, 5km or an adapted 2km route for wheelchair participants). Entrance fee, €10 pre-paid or €12 on the day, €6 for children. Registration forms from Cudeca charity shops. Companies wishing to sponsor the event or donate a raffle prize should contact the Hospice Fundraising Department, Tel: 952 564 910/ pr@cudeca.org

PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION – MIJAS PUEBLO Photographic exhibition of last year´s Mijas International Festival, presented by Friends in Focus, Mijas Town Hall Exhibition Hall. Monday to Friday, 9am-2pm. Further information www. mijas.es

Wednesday May 26-June 4 EXHIBITION – FUENGIROLA Exhibition of Tiffany glass, enamel work and jewellery by members of the municipal workshops, Casa de la Cultura. Inuaguration on 26th at 9pm. Further information, www. fuengirola.org

Every third Wednesday of the month

Thursday May 27

LUNCH – MARBELLA The American Club of Marbella meets at a different local restaurant, with an occasional guest speaker, 12.30pm. New friends welcome.

Further information, Tel: 952 862 770.

CONCERT – MARBELLA Russian Pop Princess, Kristina Orbakaite, stars in her new orchestral and ballet show, Limita Extrim, Congress Palace, 9pm. Tickets, www.uniticket.es / Tel: 965 708 162.

GARDEN PARTY – FUENGIROLA Charity garden party at Sohail Castle, from 6pm, organised by the British Consulate and Málaga Age Concern España. Further information, www. fuengirola.org

CONCERT – FUENGIROLA Municipal Band concert, Iglesia Ntra. Sra. del Rosario, Plaza de la Constitución, 8.30pm. Further information, www.fuengirola.org

Every third Tuesday of the month FLORAL ART CLUB – ESTEPONA Meets from 3-5pm at Benavista Country Club, visitors welcome. Further information, Tel: 952 890 352/ www.bestofmarbella.com

Thursday, May 20 CINEMA – MARBELLA Música con Encanto presents the film, Note by Note: how to make a Steinway, directed by Ben Niles, at the Manolo Santana Raquets Club, 8pm.

Information and tickets, €5, from Tel: 689 000 944/ www.musicaconencanto.org

Friday May 21 SPRING FESTIVAL – FUENGIROLA Fiesta de la Primavera, organised by the Concejalía de la Tercera Edad, 8pm, Palacio de la Paz. Further information, www.fuengirola.org

Friday May 21-26 THEATRE – FUENGIROLA Puttin’ on the Glitz, an all-singing, all-dancing musical spectacular, Salon Variétes Theatre, nightly at 8pm, Sunday at 7pm. Box office, Tel: 952 474 542, open Monday-Friday from 10.30am-

Thursday May 27-29 FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT – ESTEPONA Football 7 Championship at Fco. Muñoz Pérez Football Stadium. Further information, www. estepona.es

Friday May 28 GOLF TOURNAMENT – MARBELLA Annual British Chamber of Commerce golf tournament at Marbella Golf & Country Club, with shotgun start at 12 noon followed by gala dinner, 6pm. Price, €65 for golf, buggy, dinner with wine and prizes. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Ronan at Golf the Costa, Tel: 618 546 108/ ronan@

golfthecosta.com Further information, www. golfthecosta.com CONCERT – FUENGIROLA Musical duo El Sombrero del Alquimista present Ecos de Andalucía y el Mediterráneo, Casa de la Cultura, 9pm. Further information, www. fuengirola.org

Every last Friday of the month BUSINESS LUNCH – MARBELLA Marbella Business Institute monthly luncheon at a different restaurant in the area. Nonmembers welcome with advance notice. Further information, Tel: 952 773 500.

COFFEE MORNING – ESTEPONA ADANA animal rescue charity coffee morning at Plaza Manilva (outside Longman’s Bookshop) 11am-2pm. Kennels open 10am-5pm MondayFriday and 10am-2pm Saturday, Sunday and fiestas. Further information, Tel: 952 797 405/ 606 274 206/ administracion@adana-estepona.com

CERVANTES THEATRE – MÁLAGA Friday, Sunday, May 7, 9: Donizetti’s comic opera, Don Pasquale, performed by Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera Choir, 9pm Friday, 8pm Sunday.

Friday, Saturday, May 14, 15: The Centro Dramático Nacional presents Chekov’s Platonov, Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 8pm.

Wednesday May 19: The contemporary, Grammy Award-winning Kronos Quartet, 9pm.

Thursday May 21, 22: Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra performs works by Mozart and Brückner, Friday at 8.30pm, Saturday at 8pm.

Friday-Sunday, May 28-30: The Focus theatre group presents La Vida Por Delante by Romain Gary, Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 7pm.

Saturday May 29, 30 OPEN STUDIOS – GAUCÍN Art Gaucín’s annual Open Studios weekend with a chance to see 13 artists’ work, ranging from ceramics and sculpture to painting, printmaking and photography, open from 11am-7 pm on both days. Maps from Plaza del Santo Nino. For a preview of work on display and to download the map, www.artgaucin.com

Sunday May 30 CHARITY CONCERT – BENÁLMADENA COSTA The Choir and Orchestra of Collegium Musicum Costa del Sol perform Haydn’s Second Cello Concerto with soloist, Michael Kevin Jones, and a Mass by Hummel, 9pm at the Church of Our Lady of Carmen (near Bonanza Square). All proceeds towards Cudeca’s Hospice Centre (donations at the door, minimum €10€). Further information from Delyth Bressington, collegiummusicum@ telefonica.net Spring fair – MARBELLA Featuring 10 different countries, food and dance, and performances from the Marbella Stageschool.

At the Alameda Park in Marbella, 11am to dark.

Further information from Monica Bohman, monicabohman@hotmail.com

Friday May 21-23 and Thursday May 27-30 SUPPER THEATRE – MARBELLA Xaviera Hollander presents two one-man shows written and performed by riveting raconteur Peter Searles: Hey Gringo! and Sex with Pete, on 21st and 27th at the Terrace Cafe/ Restaurant, Marbella Business Centre, Elviria, 9.45pm, €25 (or with dinner, €50, from 8pm). All other dates at Xaviera’s Home Theatre Caprice, Rocio de Nagueles, Marbella (22nd, 28th and 29th, show only; 23rd and 30th, optional dinner and show). For directions and reservations, xie@ xavierahollander.com /Tel: 952 857 575.

Kronos Quartet

TEATRO ECHEGARAY – MÁLAGA Thursday May 6: Rock band Star Caé, 9pm.

Friday, Saturday, May 7, 8: Theatrical trio Caramala present their first work, La Hora Feliz, Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 8pm.

Sunday May 9: Síndrome Dario present the children’s show, La Pequeña Pareja Mecánica, 11am and 1pm.

Friday May 14: Vilma y Los Señores in concert, 9pm.

Saturday May 15: Javier Colis and Las Malas Lenguas present songs from their new album, Otra Nube, 8pm.

Sunday May 16: Children’s theatre: Hansel & Gretel, 11am and 1pm.

Thursday May 20: Flamenco concert with Antonio Carbonell and José Carbonell ‘Montoyita’, 9pm.

Friday, Saturday, May 21, 22: Ron Lalá presents the play, Mundo y Final, Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 8pm.

Sunday May 23: Magomiscelánea, magic show for children, 11am and 1pm.

Thursday May 27: Anomia Blues Band in concert, 9pm.

Friday, Saturday, May 28, 29: Mutis Producciones presents the comedy theatre Tres, Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 8pm.

Ticket sales from the relevant box office/ Tel: 902 360 295/ www.generaltickets.com and other outlets. Further general information, Tel: 952 224 109/ www.teatrocervantes.com essential marbella magazine

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THEBLOG STARS

Annie Heese is the founder of astrology website, www.cafeastrology.com, a site featuring articles, love sign compatibility reports, predictions, the gen on famous people and their star signs, and general information for astrology buffs.

ARIES [21 MAR - 20 APR] Change is on the horizon, and a spiritual revelation or attitude breakthrough occurs in May that propels you along a new path this spring and summer. Adventure, travel and higher learning call to you. You are setting your sights on the future instead of worrying about the past, and setting your sights high! There may be unexpected events that free you from confining situations. Financial concerns and mix-ups lift by mid-month, when a new budget will be helpful. You are ready to pursue romance and take the lead.

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LEO [23 JUL - 22 AUG] Career and professional interests are strong this month. Mix-ups or delays lift by midmonth, and you are back on track. New ideas are abundant and your energy levels run high. Some form of tug-ofwar when it comes to finances could be irksome in May but clearing up financial matters will do wonders for your outlook. Friendships are especially rewarding this month, and new feel-good connections can be made. Some of you will be meeting new romantic interests or experiencing a rejuvenation of romance in existing relationships.

SAGITTARIUS [22 NOV - 21 DEC] May is strong for social life, negotiations and communications. However, before mid-month, some conversations can be strained and nonproductive, particularly with a partner and at work. It’s best to leave important conversations for the second half of May. Some problems balancing career and family obligations are likely.

Your spirit for adventure runs high, yet you are especially busy with work obligations and health routines. A new home or living arrangement might be in the offing. The 26th-28th brings a surprising personal revelation. It’s time to listen to your heart.

TAURUS [21 APR - 20 MAY]

VIRGO [23 AUG - 22 SEP]

CAPRICORN [22 DEC - 19 JAN]

Mid-month is a feel-good time for Taureans, when you feel the need to make a fresh start. Communication problems can be a bit troublesome until then, however, particularly when it comes to money and love. Love ties are coming up for review and the need to put the past behind you becomes insistent. Some of you will be determining whether a romantic relationship is strong enough to be brought forward.

A surprising new friendship could develop this month. Home life is animated, busy and involving.

Business relationships are strong this month. Virgoans have that extra edge when it comes to appealing to superiors, as well as co-workers. A change of residence, a working partnership, an opportunity to work from home or an alliance with an old family friend or co-worker could be in the offing. Reticence about changes in a close personal relationship is something you have been struggling with for some time and now is a good time to examine what is holding you back. New travel or educational plans are likely mid-month.

A mostly entertaining month is in store for Capricorns. While some communication snafus can get your goat, especially with a romantic partner, your creative flow returns mid-month. The chance for creative and romantic new beginnings arrives just in time to revitalise your outlook. The urge to work is weaker than usual so, if you can manage it, down time or a vacation might be in order. Finances are strong, particularly those related to the communications industry and online endeavors. You are especially intuitive when it comes to financial prospects.

GEMINI [21 MAY - 21 JUN]

LIBRA [23 SEP - 23 OCT

AQUARIUS [20 JAN - 19 FEB]

Geminis are especially magnetic this month, particularly in the second half of May. Love and appreciation are easy to attract this month. Your desire to learn, share ideas, and improve your skills is powerful. Strong energy for new beginnings in close relationships is with you in the last week of the month. It’s also a time when exciting professional and travel opportunities could arise, seemingly out of the blue. Stimulating changes in the realms of friendships, group connections and business plans are on the horizon.

May is a sociable month for Librans, especially from the 21st forward. You are making exciting new contacts and reconnecting with old friends. You are keen on sharing your personal philosophies with others and are especially intrigued by other points of view. Restlessness with routine is sure to get you out and about. Financial matters begin to clear up mid-month. Some nagging health or work problems need attention, especially those revolving around poor communication. Conditions in your close partnerships may begin to feel confining now, and demand a major overhaul.

Important group connections and friendships come along suddenly this month and next. Conversations with friends and acquaintances can be eyeopening, propelling you along a new path of discovery in the coming months. Financial concerns and possibly even battles may challenge you this month. Straightening out domestic problems will also be necessary, and this sets the stage for pleasant relations with family and a more organized home life in the second half of the month. Energy runs high for romance, entertainment, and recreation in May. A partnership is animated and spirited.

CANCER [22 JUN - 22 JUL]

SCORPIO [24 OCT - 21 NOV]

PISCES [20 FEB - 20 MAR]

Motivation to make money is strong this month. You are also enjoying lively friendships and group activities. The work you do could find financial support in May, or your work may be related to supporting others’ talents and resources.

Many of you will achieve more recognition, a promotion or a position of increased responsibility on the career front this spring and summer and unusual developments in May seem to be pushing you in that direction. Work is stimulating and a little hectic in the last week of the month.

May is an excellent month for giving your close personal relationships the attention they deserve. By mid-month, tensions and communication troubles clear up. A partner is more willing to share on deeper, more intimate levels. May 13th brings a rush of positive energy to a partnership. It’s a great time for making new resolutions.

Finances bring pleasant surprises this month and next but money could be spent as quickly as it is earned if you are not careful! Your hobbies or sideline work can be especially lucrative this month.

Career opportunities are likely to arise this month and next, quite possibly of the behind-the-scenes variety or involving online endeavors. Energy for improving your skills and getting projects going runs extremely high this month, so take advantage. While pushing yourself too hard will never work to your benefit in the long run, taking some extra time to tend to projects that have been on hold will be fulfilling. Troublesome or mixed-up communications are likely to clear up by mid-month. Love opportunities increase dramatically from the 19th forward.

essential marbella magazine

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