Demonstrators ahead of the 13-hour Congressional vote

Gay tourism conference opens today July 21, 2010

Gay tourism to Argentina seen booming July 22, 2010

Behind closed doors, the President expanded on the same-sex marriage law July 23, 2010

A week before Limbo begins, he has time for a cooling beer on a sticky afternoon to explain his baby. Isella says: “Limbo is a compilation of all the artists I’ve been working with, but I was wondering what unites the whole thing? It’s hard to define because it isn’t a jazz or rock festival, the music is experimental and not very mainstream but the way we’re organising is also very independent. I think it’s like being bringing people to a lab, and it’s original because we’re presenting it like it’s a frame.”

A MEETING OF TWO MINDS. The advantage of holding Limbo every Thursday, Friday and Saturday across a whole month means the artists and venues receive much-needed exposure, as Isella explains.

“During the course of a year venues suffer from poor audience numbers, places close down, the artists also suffer in trying to book shows and bring people in, but the interesting thing with Limbo is that we’re giving it a frame and bringing artists together who wouldn’t normally appear on the same bill. The independent music scene in Argentina is huge, with a lot of exciting things going on. For example, there’s a guy called Mono Fontana, an amazing keyboard player and composer who played for Spinetta from the very beginning who’s very well-known on the jazz scene. At the same time there’s a guy called Mariano Otero and he’s got the biggest and brightest big band here, which is playing really exciting modern jazz. You know what, these two guys never met and I was like ‘how come they don’t know each other?’ We’re all on the same scene, we’re all friends together so they’re going to meet and play on stage for the first time. Mariano, who’s an acoustic double bass player, was so excited by all this that he said ‘I’m going to do all the things I can’t throughout the year — I’m going to experiment.’ So he’s decided to play his cello and also sing for a change. He’s never been exposed to a place where he could use his voice, something he does really well and loves to do. So why not?”

Although Limbo focuses on independent music, Isella hopes his musician friends do have the opportunity to become more mainstream at times — but not a higher cost for their audiences. Admission to Ultra, Cafe Vinilo and the Thelonious Club is a maximum of $25 which is reasonable when artists such as techno folk musician Gaby Kerpel, Puente Celeste’s Santiago Vázquez and Guillermo Klein from Los Guachos are coming together. And as Isella says, if you spend $20 on cinema tickets you’ll probably then spend another $15 on a drink. “It’s just 20 bucks!” he laughs. “But seriously, I really want to take everyone to a different level but not so that tickets cost a mainstream price. No one wants to pay such a high price and we don’t want that either, being artists and producers of such events. I’m involved with most of the artists in different ways, perhaps I played keyboards with someone I produced or I digitally released their album. But it’s not about me, because at the end of the day I’m just curating this and I want it to be valuable. What gets us musicians happy is playing live so I’m really excited about all this!”

Although he won’t reveal who he is most looking forward to seeing — “oh it’s too hard, because they’re all my friends!” — Isella does say that the Vázquez-Kerpel combo tomorrow evening will be interesting “as they search to discover the new Argentine folk. It’s folk with a different vision — they are friends who have never collaborated so, wow man, I am excited about that!”

YOU CAN FEEL IT COMING. If you feel a rumbling beneath your feet, that may be because electro-folk band Tremor, led by Leonardo Martinelli, is starting the ceremony this evening. Main man Martinelli explains their roots and what they’re about. “I started the Tremor project around 10 years ago but the first album only came out in 2004. I then met Camilo (Carabajal, who plays bombo legüero) and Gerardo (Farez, who plays keyboards and melodica) two years later and we’ve been playing ever since.”

Camilo adds: “Apart from us three playing live on stage, we have a VJ as well as sound and lighting technicians. Other people are hard at work as well as us!”

What is an unusual coincidence with regards to this trio is that they are all drummers, so when they originally met, “we had a connection, not only with regards to being percussionists but we also all the play bombo legüero,” says Camilo. “We’re all passionate about rhythms but what is funny is that we all have other musical collaborations going on in which we play drums, but none of us does in Tremor!” says Leo.

Knocking back coffees on a miserable cloudy Monday behind the National Library in Recoleta, the trio laugh and joke their way through the interview. Their connection is obvious so it seems likely this dynamic will transmit to their live show. Although Leo and Camilo do most of the talking, Gerardo is in sync with them, given the guffaws he produces.

Leo explains “Tremor is a super independent project which I started out doing on my own — I used to do everything, such as write and send out press releases — but over the years other people have joined the team, for example, we work with the VJ Matapixels. I call what we do electronic music really but with folk elements to it, such as the instruments we play, but we don’t write folklore songs.” This last phrase Leo and Camilo say in unison. “This musical search is about taking parts of folk out of context. It’s transitory and we like to try and take these old familiar elements and see what else we can do with them. We can give them a whole new meaning.”

Although raised in Buenos Aires, the trio has roots originating from different parts of Argentina, which explains what has led them to these sounds. “My family is from Santiago del Estero, the home of chacarera, and although I’ve was brought up here and also lived in Germany, it ‘s really great to participate in the folklore tradition,” says Camilo.

Tremor, and the sounds the band creates, has certainly taken a transitory path. “The project changes as time goes by,” says Leo, “and the other guys’ influences is important too. The first album was more folklore andino influenced by the north of the country. When Camilo joined, Tremor took on a more chacarera, malambo feeling. I always had that idea but with his collaboration we could go more deeply into it.” On hearing his name, the bombo legüero player adds: “And we’re experimenting more and more.”

And that’s what Limbo is about: new alternatives offered up by passionate musicians taken out of their regular context, and tonight it’s electro-folk band Tremor who welcomes you into Fer Isella’s musical lab.

First published in the Buenos Aires Herald, August 2009

You might also like to read a review of Zuker´s band Poncho

Diamond DA42 which used biofuel at the 2010 ILA Berlin Air Show

Recent developments mean that biodiesel, wind, water and ethanol, the latter which in some cases comes from pig manure, will increasingly be fuelling homes and vehicles.

Although biofuels currently supply just one percent of all energy to the domestic market, according to St. James, legislation will require them to provide eight percent by 2016. In addition, the government recently upped the blend of biodiesel with regular diesel from five percent to seven, an important move in a world increasingly reluctant to be fossil fuel-dependent.

The fifth-largest biofuel provider in the world after Germany, the US, France and Brazil, Argentina has two main sources: biodiesel and bioethanol. Sugarcane, grown in the north of Argentina, is the feedstock for the nine companies which produce ethanol in Argentina, while soy oil is the basis for the country’s 19 biodiesel-producing firms, excluding one which converts used cooking oil into the finished product.

Indeed, one enterprising pig farm in Buenos Aires province lucratively converts pig manure into biogas in order to self-power.

Overfeeding. “At the moment, Argentina has more feedstock than it knows what to do with,” St. James told the Herald. “The Chinese aren’t buying our soy oil any more, and so we suddenly have a glut which isn’t finding its overseas market, plus (Planning Minister) De Vido is finding a good application for that extra soy oil. That also means we no longer have to import diesel fuel from Venezuela which is particularly toxic and high in sulphur — so we’re producing our own biodiesel fuel which is cleaner, biodegradable and keeps the money in the country. There’s a lot of upside and very little downside.”

Biodiesel has progressed more than ethanol in terms of quantity produced and margins made, converting 2.6 million tons a year into US$2.1 billion — although 65 percent is exported, mostly to Europe, which has a surplus of biofuel plants but not enough feedstock.

Up to seven. Following a resolution to Law 26,093 in March this year, oil companies now mix diesel fuel with five percent of biodiesel (B5), which obviously led to an increase in demand to the domestic market. But on June 30, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner instructed her Energy Secretary Daniel Cameron to hike that blend up to seven percent (B7) next month, with the intention of eventually reaching 10 percent (B10).

“Biodiesel really is Argentina’s shining star,” added St.James. “The aim is to reach B10 levels by year-end. That really is a big deal and would make Argentina the country with the highest biodiesel mandate in the world by a long shot, if it isn’t already with the B7 resolution.”

And following last week’s green light with regards to the construction of three renewable energy plants to bring the total to 22, which will provide a total of 895 megawatts (MW), 110.4MW will eventually come from biofuels — no mean feat for an industry which only came into existence in May 2006 thanks to the Argentine Biofuels Law 26,093.

However, 500MW will come from wind farms, which is set to become the country’s second-largest renewable energy source, said St. James. “One of the unexpected winners from that deal was thermal energy — good old-fashioned generators that will work on biofuel which have fewer greenhouse emissions instead of diesel fuel.”

Back in 2008, this fledgling market saw US$12 billion of investments in Latin America, according to the AREC, although US$10 billion — went to Brazil’s ethanol plants.

“The other four countries that rank above Argentina all have access to financing, venture capital and legislation,” said St. James. “Here in Argentina we have none of that, but we still rank fifth in the world in terms of production. Just imagine what we could do if we did have access to financing and banks!”

Bean plant. Argentina’s biofuels industry received a further boost last week when local biodiesel producer Renova confirmed it is to invest US$350 million in a new plant located in Timbúes, Santa Fe province, which will process soya beans.

To add icing on the cake, EADS, Airbus’ owner and Europe’s main plane builder, undertook a test flight using a 100 percent microalgae-based biofuel made by Argentina’s Biocombustibles del Chubut.

A first for biofuels, a Diamond DA42 took off from the Berlin ILA air show last month, and was a flight two years in the planning, according to Marcelo Machín, president of the Chubut-based producer.

An important development in an environment increasingly hostile towards fossil fuels, algae can be produced in sufficiently large quantities without competing with food production for fertile land or potable water. St. James said: “A global race is on to find the right strain of microalgae which produce a lot of oil. Biofuels need a vegetable oil to be produced and if you squish seaweed, plenty of algae oil comes out.

“But the challenge is how to grow it quickly. Seaweed needs carbon dioxide and sun so it would grow perfectly next to an old, contaminating cement plant. These little gunky critters double in size in 24 hours, which is why it has caused so much excitement — you have an instant and tremendous feedstock.”

And Dr. Jean Botti, chief technical officer at EADS, added: “This opens up the feasibility of carbon-neutral flights. Third-generation biofuels are more than just a replacement for fossil petroleum — they push the possibilities of future propulsion.”
The Puerto Madryn-based factory is set to receive a sister plant in Sao Paulo which would produce and refine microalgae oil and EADS is hoping to attract 20 million euros worth of investment for it.

While former vice-chancellor Fernando Petrella says Argentina is ripe for investing in terms of biofuels, he is uncertain as to why Sao Paulo is the location for the new plant.

“Given that we are one of the world’s largest suppliers of green energies, this could be an integration point for Argentina to regain its position in the world and the G20. But it’s surprising to me why Biocombustibles del Chubut has chosen Sao Paulo over Argentina. People want to know more about this,” he said to the Herald.

Despite his uncertainty, the former vice-chancellor pointed to the investment opportunities in Argentina. “In spite of the problems this marvellous country has had — and there are three in my opinion, World War II, the Malvinas conflict and the 2001 crash — it is still able to do biofuel business which was to the tune of US$2.1 billion last year.”

St. James added: “This really is a moving industry. Last year Argentina produced and exported 1.2 million tons of biodiesel at a cost of a little under US$1,000 per ton. That makes it a billion-dollar industry. Argentina is always on the brink of an energy crisis. But now that the government is finally understanding the opportunities the biofuels industry is offering, those days may be over.”

Let there be light, and hot water…
There’s more to Misa Rumi, a village set at the immense height of 3710m on the Andean Puna in Jujuy, than meets the eye.
Home to around 50 families, Misa Rumi has been exclusively powered by solar energy since 1997, and is the only such place in the world. Over the years, the village’s solar technology has developed thanks to local NGO EcoAndina and it now houses an ecological activities centre. Paul Byrne, a freelance videojournalist based in Argentina, visited Misa Rumi six weeks ago with EcoAndina. He talked to the Herald about his experience.
“This is a developed solar village which has been functioning for several years. The villagers have solar ovens, solar tools and hot water heating which is necessary for such an extreme place — it can reach 30 degrees Celsius in the day but fall to minus 15 at night,” he says.
“The project has helped the local community who previously had no electricity and it’s now the only totally sustainable community in the world. EcoAndina trains up a member of the village to be in charge of the equipment, which in Misa Rumi’s case is Julián Martínez.
“It’s remarkable to see the first world meeting with this rural community. The Misa Rumi villagers used to live in a world of minimum conditions, but if you climb a bit higher up the mountain, you can see the solar panels shining off the peaks which is striking. It’s exciting to see modern technology in this tiny community.
“The only complaint the villagers have about it is that they want more technology!”

First published in the Buenos Aires Herald on July 9 2010.

Now aged 42, one of Shem’s first musical ventures was while he was studying at university in Brighton. He says: “I was 18, which, was, well I don’t even want to think when that was, but it was at a pirate radio called Faze FM. There was an underground dance scene which was kind of linked to the university as well. Carl Cox and Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) were also doing shows on this station — this was back in 1989 or 1990. I got gigs on pirate radio because I was a club DJ who used to do warehouse parties and I was known on the scene.”

Back in the day Radio Luxembourg was the most famous pirate station, and it was an outlet for clandestine creativity. But now in 2009 any old wannabe can set up shop on the internet and make themselves heard. Is there any point to pirate radio in this day and age? Talking about the UK, Shem says: “In London I know of a crazy pirate station in the East End which plays grime, a mixture of drum ‘n bass and house music. I suspect with the internet it’s not so necessary but when you’re driving about in your car you can’t pick up internet radio. I think it still exists but clearly it’s not as popular as it used to be. Pirate radio is like vinyl: it’s been edged out by technology.”

Shem doesn’t give off the aura of your average DJ who plays as hard as they work. Although he’s mates with some of SAMC’s other international artists such as Lee Burridge, he enjoys maintaining a low profile. “I just arrived in Buenos Aires and am here for a few days but prefer to keep myself to myself. Sometimes I like to keep quiet then be surprised by everything and not do too much research beforehand. Unless someone drags me off to the Pyramids, I’m not a very good tourist. I like keeping myself to myself. It sounds a bit boring, doesn’t it!”

The softly spoken Londoner left his home town two years ago for pastures new because he felt like he was drying up, professionally speaking. “I wasn’t happy in London or inspired to write music and was thinking that I might not write any more so I moved to Thailand. As soon as I arrived, I had a brand new life, and it’s a bit of a cliché really but started doing yoga, and just hanging out again, going out to clubs and bars and being with friends. I then got the inspiration to finish an album which I’d been trying to finish for 10 years. It’s all slower stuff, chillout coffee table stuff I call it, and it’s a departure for me but it’s more mature and it’s about my experience of moving to a different country. That’s what I’ve been working on for the past year and a half and I finished it four months ago.”

He adds that the music scene has changed so dramatically and that this new album has given him a chance to clear his head. “Making club tracks now is not the same as it was ages ago and I think my inspirational values have shifted. It’s a new era. It’s new music, it’s a bit more grown-up and I want to see where it takes me. I still play big club tracks in clubs — but making them, well unless the inspiration comes back, I’m not sure I will again.”

He hasn’t set up home on one of the tourist trap Thai islands such as Koh Samui but instead chose capital city Bangkok. “I like busy places and for me it’s so much more chilled than in London. I cleared my possessions and arrived there with two suitcases. I’ve got a very simple life,” he says. “In London everyone’s running on a treadmill to get somewhere, to earn a crust or to succeed, but the nature of the West is that you’re conditioned to keep doing stuff and getting stuff to be happy, but actually it’s rubbish. The more stuff I got and did, the less happy I was.”

This whole lifestyle change makes Shem sound a bit like the anti-DJ. “DJing, when it’s done properly, is all about good music and good fun. Over the past few years in London, I wasn’t listening to music for leisure that much. Making and playing music became a job and all that passion and joy was vanishing. As soon as I got to Bangkok I found I was chasing music again and started listening to pop and Thai music. If a DJ is loving music and wants to play it to people to communicate then it’s fine, but being in the business to get recognised and be successful, well that’s a problem.”

He adds: “All I’ve done is clear out the clutter and uselessness and then I had time to work on life. It’s simple; good health, doing yoga and being with good people, eating good food and enjoying a cheap lifestyle. It’s all about sanity. It takes a very strong person to be creative and be their own boss and I found it difficult to do all that. It’s a really good balance and I think you take stock at some point and unless you’re Sasha or John Digweed who have got millions in the bank, then why would you change?”

Back to this side of the world. This isn’t the first time Shem’s played here and he speaks fondly of Buenos Aires. “This is one of the best cities for clubs and gigs I’ve ever been to. I remember playing Pacha a few years ago and it was electrifying. I love it. I’ve played Argentina eight or nine times, and the guy who normally books me works for Pacha so I’ve played there several times. I’ve never had a bad gig here.”

Where & When: If you missed Slacker at last weekend’s SAMC, get a taste of his new material Start A New Life, which is now available on iTunes.

The SAMC verdict
Slacker: “SAMC was a real blast for me, I had a wicked time.The place was huge, and the crowd was really up for it. Even early on when I played the atmosphere was electric: it needed to be, it was bloody cold out there! Thanks to everyone who turned up and danced the night away.”
Ronan Portela (Unlock Recordings): “The event satisfied the expectations of plenty of electronic music fans because there was a wide variety of artists. And despite the cold and previous days’ storms people were entertained regardless. What personally emoted me was when I went into the tent where Alex Under had just started playing, he was putting on Beat Up, a track from my recent EP which was released just a few weeks ago.

First published in the Buenos Aires Herald in September 2009

Still, trio Friendly Fires, who chatted to the Herald in their only face-to-face interview in Buenos Aires before their sound check at La Trastienda last week, beg to differ about their heritage. It seems local rock royalty such as former S Club 7 singer Paul Cattermole (okay, bubblegum pop royalty), punksters Your Demise and Enter Shikari and pop band Saving Aimee were born there, while 80s crooner David Essex lives there. As did the revered comedian (in Argentina certainly) Benny Hill. But the Fires are very much the UK’s band of the moment, playing the main British music festivals including Glastonbury, touring the world and releasing their fifth single Kiss of Life two weeks ago — frankly they are the only Albanian musicians we should be caring about. And all that has been a mere year’s work since the release of their eponymous debut album.

Taken to task over their home town, bearded guitarist Edd Gibson is jokily defensive. “Actually The Zombies (a rock band formed in 1959) went to the same school as we did. I met the drummer’s daughter who told me that. That’s very rock ‘n roll!”

Despite their understandable fondness for their roots, drummer Jack Savidge lives just down the road in Hatfield, and Edd is now based in London, for the unrock ‘roll reason that “my parents moved to Devon which is pretty inaccessible.” However, vocalist Ed Mac has stayed close by. “I live just outside St. Albans and that’s where we have our studio and where we record. If I moved into London it would be hard to find a place where I could make a lot of noise and not get any complaints. And it wouldn’t be very cheap either, to rent somewhere then soundproof it.” How very practical of this electro-indie trio — it sounds like they had a university education.

Jack, who looks worn-out and originally wasn’t up for being interviewed but decides to get in on it anyway, adds: “Coming from St. Albans has actually helped us as we’ve been able to make as much noise as we like for 10 years. We’ve got a lot of respect for bands who come from inner cities and have to worry about paper-thin walls!”

“Can you imagine having to be creative in a space you’ve rented for two hours?” ponders Ed, the eccentric Englishman bedecked in calf-length trousers, lace-up brogues and striped green-and-black socks. (“These are my last few items of relatively clean clothes,” he admits later on, having just arrived from Brazil.) “It seems a really odd way to write music and be creative. The fact that we did have our own space to play until the early hours just let all that creativity run out,” he says.

STUFF OF DREAMS. The Fires’ story is verging on a classic musical fairytale: they met while at school and set up their first punk-focused band; vocalist Ed then released some of his own music on a label while in his late teens; once they graduated from university, the trio was signed up to XL Recordings. Now, thanks to their eponymous album, Friendly Fires have been nominated for the Mercury Prize, a coveted British award for the best breakthrough album of the year, alongside Kasabian, Bat for Lashes and Florence and the Machine. Although not touted as the favourites, the Fires certainly stand a solid chance among the aforementioned faves.

But has it been too much too soon? Twelve months can be a long time in the public eye. Edd disagrees. “It doesn’t seem like it’s happened quickly for us, to be honest. It took us quite a while to even get a record deal. I remember how lots of press were writing about how surprised they were that we didn’t have a deal, so for us it’s been more slow-burning. Our album came out last September and to be nominated for the Mercury this year when others have come out more recently…”

Jack chips in. “We definitely thought everyone would have long forgotten it by the time the nominations were announced. Florence and La Roux, for example, were released in the past two months so it’s good that we’ve kept there and gained some momentum.”

The band had dallied about with two smaller labels, releasing two EPs and a single, and the conversation turns to whether they need the support of a larger label to become successful. Anyone can upload music on to their MySpace website or make a podcast — just how necessary is XL for them?

“To really get anywhere and make headway in a mainstream music scene you definitely need the support of a label,” says Edd. “Unless of course you’re The Prodigy and have enough of a profile to do it yourself. It’s not just about some eccentric billionaire spending his money on you and hoping to get something back out of it.”

“Even with smaller labels, they are often funded in the beginning by bigger ones,” says Ed, “and you need money from somewhere. You’d have to borrow and need a lot of time to invest in everything to do with the label. If you’re a touring band you don’t have the time to do that.”

Obviously this is their first South American jaunt and they have taken in Rio, Sao Paulo and Mexico City, recounts Jack. A minor dispute leads to his being quickly corrected that Mexico City isn’t strictly “south.” Again, does touring this continent so soon seem a bit odd? “To play South America is very much a goal for us as a band, especially Brazil and Argentina, because our music is somewhat influenced by samba,” says Ed. “I really enjoyed Brazil but having seen the countryside in Argentina, I think I might like it more.”

Edd adds: “It’s surprising for us that many more bands don’t bother to come here. I don’t know if people miss it out or don’t lobby their management to come. It seems a real shame.”

They are also surprised at the high cost of gig tickets in Argentina. “I think they are charging more for our show than for last night’s dinner,” says Edd, and it is an issue that local fans in general pay more than their European counterparts to see a favourite band. For last Wednesday’s gig at La Trastienda, one had to fork out a minimum of 180 pesos to get in, some 30 pounds. When Friendly Fires play a homecoming show in St. Albans next week on September 3, some quick internet research reveals the cheapest ticket to be on sale for a mere… £12.

TOUR OF DUTY? Money matters aside, let’s get friendly. When the Fires play live they have a fourth man in tow, Rob Lee. But it’s as a trio that they can’t wait to start writing and recording again and the toll the past 12 months has taken on their music-making process is clear. Touring has naturally helped to raise the band’s profile and is vital. “It’s really important at this stage as we’ve just started out, but we’re now at the point where we’re selling out quite big venues in the UK,” says Edd. “But I don’t think that for the second and third albums touring will be quite extensive as it has been for just one record.”

Ed adds: “The record came out in September 2008 and we toured it while people were still discovering it. Now, more than ever, people are discovering it so we’re now on our second time round promoting it. It’s a good problem to have but it means we’ve toured twice as much.

“I’m surprised we’ve managed to write a song and release it (Kiss of Life came out on August 11, 2009) because of the touring schedule we’ve had. It’s hard to get yourself in the frame of mind for being creative when you’re travelling for a month on a bus, just waking up to set up your equipment — you get into this repetitive cycle and for us, to be able to write properly, we need to be back home in our little personal space. We need to labour it. We’re not the kind of band that can pick up an acoustic guitar and write a song at the back of the bus; it’s just not how we write music and a lot of our music isn’t even chord-based. They don’t start from a guitar but from a drum or synth line.”

But it’s not quite over yet. Over the coming weeks they will play electronic music festival Creamfields in Liverpool, Reading rock festival and Bestival, a fun three-dayer on the Isle of Wight. This gig will be a bit of a landmark as Ed explains. “We last played Bestival two years ago, the only time, we closed the festival in one of the tents, and everyone piled in to see what we were all about. We did a really good show and felt that from that moment that things were starting to take off, that labels were showing real interest and that the general public started to understand what we’re about and got into it. It will be good to go back and play main stage to see how the crowd react this time round.” They aren’t convinced by my attempt at getting them to play Creamfields Buenos Aires (the largest in the world) and Edd is adamant that they’re keeping November free for writing.

Three, of course, can be a crowd but having played together for so long, Ed, Edd and Jack seem to have it worked out, as Edd says. “We know when it’s time to let someone get on with their individual bit. It’s good to write together but sometimes it just needs one person to take it a bit. We’ve been writing together for so long that we know how it works and now it’s about finding the momentum, just keep going. If you hit a block, get out of it, and it’s best to move onto something new.”

Named after a track on the Section 25 album Always Now, Friendly Fires are riding on the crest of a wave and if they’re too polite and home counties to be rock ‘n roll, well it doesn’t matter too much as they’re electro-indie boys with a Mercury nomination under their belt anyway. And politeness and niceness can take you far — recognised by a fan and asked to sign a Union Jack flag on the street, Edd offered to put her on his guest list, quipping: “It’s not like we know anyone in Argentina anyway so we might as well ask randoms from the street to come along.” That said, spotted as soon as they stepped out of the hotel, the trio jointly agree that is was “scary to be recognised” so clearly the fame game hasn’t affected gone to these boys’ heads yet. It seems like a sensible St. Albans upbringing will stand them in good stead for dealing with a long career ahead of them.

First published in the Buenos Aires Herald in August 2009.

Its second inauguration at the current Cerrito Street location was supposed to coincide with the 400th anniversary in 1892 of America’s discovery – but that wasn’t to be. Architect Francisco Tamburini and his team had a two-year deadline, and the cornerstone was laid on May 25, 1890, but Tamburini died a year later. His partner Victor Meano, the mastermind behind the domed Palacio del Congreso (Congress Palace), was his natural successor, but in 1904 he was murdered. His death, combined with that of Angelo Ferrari, the Italian businessman financing the project, meant that funds ran out almost immediately. And so Belgian Jules Dormal took on the white elephant, and made his mark on the interior with a definitive French style. The entrance steps come from white Carrara marble, the grand hall is made of Rosso Verona marble, the handrails are Portuguese marble, while the vitraux dome is the pièce de résistance. Only the best would do for this lady.

And only the best have performed there. From Pavlova, Nureyev, and Nijinsky, The Three Tenors, Callas, and Te Kanawa, and Strauss, Honegger, and Stravinsky – the names who have walked up those marble steps to gaze up at the splendid dome, unable to utter a word, are a Who’s Who of music and dance.

The world’s finest opera house, along with Milan’s Teatro alla Scala and the Palais Garnier in Paris, the Colón has undergone surgery several times, yet never a full clean-up service. Extensions were added to flesh out workshops and rehearsal studios, but no operation has been as dramatic as this last one. The city government’s original ‘master plan’ in 2006 involved structural restoration, but Mayor Mauricio Macri decided on a facelift across the board to the tune of US$100 million – the most expensive heritage restoration in Argentina’s history – in order to improve both the building’s structure and to bring it up to date technologically. Not just a facelift, but an entire body lift.

Macri – who took charge of the master plan in early 2008 – and his predecessor Jorge Telerman have come under scrutiny, namely with regards to funding, which has been interrupted to say the least. Operations were supposed to be led without much song or dance, but Macri insisted on putting the project’s management out to tender. Any previous irregularities were pushed under the table, but bringing in a manager failed to pave a smooth path; the city mayor then dreamt up a special projects unit to oversee the master plan’s manager. This new body came under the Ministry of Urban Development’s remit, turning the Colón into a political weapon.

With restoration teams being shipped in and out at every town hall change, and the need to address winning bidders’ unrelated outstanding debts before they could start work, the refurbishment has taken far longer than expected. But this is just another blip in the Colón’s history – if her overhaul had gone smoothly, well, it just wouldn’t be the Colón, would it?

The Argentine National Symphony Orchestra brought matters to a close in October 2006, so it has taken the best part of four years of blood, sweat, and debts paid to reopen – although complementary buildings neighbouring the Colón won’t be completed until 2011. But the Colón has shed the scaffolding and bandages protecting her and is back, fresh-faced and wrinkle-free – and it was worth the wait.

The official gala inauguration took place on May 24 to the sounds of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake (Act 3) and Puccini’s La Bohème (Act 2), with the latter officially opening the 2010 season. But a sneak preview of Beethoven’s Ninth on May 6 for everyone involved with the restoration had the mops and buckets out, because the tears of a full house were falling thick and fast. When Carlos Vieu stepped out to become the first conductor in four years to lead the Colón’s in-house orchestra, eyes glistening, he raised both hands to the ceiling mural, which was looking as fresh as the day it was unveiled in 1908. Then the real test began. How would she fare acoustically?

Perfectly, is the answer. Granted, the second row is not an ideal seating placement although perfect for witnessing the musicians’ raw emotions on such a momentous occasion in the Colón’s blemished history. When hair hit strings, when soprano Paula Almerares’ first note emerged, a rush of prickly energy soared upward within. A crystal-clear sound, as dazzling as the hundreds of bulbs working hard in the breathtaking chandelier, combined with an immaculate, if hindered, restoration, means the Teatro Colón is back once more.

First published in Oryx, the Qatar Airways inflight magazine, in June 2010

In fact, it was green-and-yellow Tuesday. Five days into the World Cup, it was day one as far as 12 million Paulistanos were concerned as it was their first foray into South Africa’s sporting extravaganza. And that could only mean one thing in Brazil’s financial capital, and the richest, most populous city in Latin America — the afternoon off. While investment bankers streamed out of their glass towers wearing their team’s strip, heading for bars and cafes, the Herald’s own particular pre-match scenario involved 40 minutes waiting for a taxi and another 40 minutes in a taxi albeit entertained by the live sports on the in-car flat screen TV. Rush hour (part one) had begun unusually early and timing was bad ahead of the 3.30pm kickoff.

‘INTERRUPTIONS’. Although the usually bustling BN&FBovespa, Latin America’s most important stock exchange — commonly called Bovespa — said on its website last week that trading would not be affected by Brazil’s World Cup games, that perspective changed seven days later. Following a Brazilian Central Bank decision, according to BN&FBovespa, “there will be interruptions in the operations of the spot US Dollar trading systems, as well as in the regular time frames for registration and contracting of transactions with the Foreign Exchange Clearinghouse.” A possible sigh of relief all round: although we’ll physically be at work, please try not to bother us as we’ll be watching the game too!

Eerily quiet for an hour and a half despite two unanimous yells of glee in the 55th and 72nd minutes reverberating round the Jardins neighbourhood, after the 2-1 win against North Korea normal activities — trains, buses and helicopters included — were resumed at around 5.15pm when contented Paulistanas began winding their way home, ready for a new day.

BACK TO NORMAL. And so it was on a regular Wednesday, not black, green or yellow, that the Herald visited BN&FBovespa. In a city that came to a standstill for a few hours the day before, it was as if the game never took place apart from the previous day’s tokens of flags a-fluttering in the breeze.

With two headquarters located on leafy, crowded XV de Novembro road, the Exchange’s buildings are low profile. Squeezed in between cafés and noisy streets sellers flogging flags and glittery Brazil T-shirts, a simple sign above the entrance leads the way into the continent’s financial hub.

Following its demutualisation in 2007, the result of a 2008 merger between the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange and the Brazilian Mercantile and Futures Exchange created the world’s third-largest stock exchange and couldn’t have come a moment sooner. Brazil’s economy was booming and despite a few months’ wobble, which led to a 6.2%-percent fall in the Exchange’s 2009 gross operating revenues following the global economic crisis which shook the US and Europe (gross revenue totalled R$1,672.9 million compared with R$1,783.4 in 2008), Bovespa saw a record number of transactions take place (81.75 million) last year regardless.

To put those figures into perspective, green-and-yellow Tuesday June 15, saw 26,866 trades take place with more than one and a half million contracts traded that same day, while the maximum number of trades in a single day is 151,233.

2009 also saw the second-largest volume in terms of capital raising with R$46 billion regardless. Six IPOs were responsible for R$23.8 billion while R$22.2 billion was raised in the 19 subsequent follow-ons.

COME, SEE, BUY. Founded in 1890, the original trading floor at ground level now functions as a tourist attraction which brought in 120,000 visitors last year or around 450 a day. Given that the Exchange places great importance on its Home Broker scheme which launched in 1999 to allow individual investors to trade online, it makes sense that a slice of those investors might want to take a look at the way their money works. “We are taking on the bold goal of attracting five million new investors in the next five years,” said Bovespa’s chief executive Edemir Pinto.

And despite the global ripples, 2009 still saw record numbers of individual investors who accounted for 30.5 percent of total volume traded in equities, derivatives, fixed income securities, federal government securities, financial derivatives, spot foreign exchange and agricultural commodities, principally coffee, live cattle, sugar, corn and soybean.

Investors of the future make up a substantial chunk of visitor numbers, and yesterday was no different.
Several groups of teenagers were given a mock trading demonstration, and although they aren’t permitted it to the real floor, which is now electronically managed fully, the twinkling screens and bellowing traders put on for their benefit gives an insight into days gone by.

Privy to a sneaky look at the derivatives controllers, the office is all in fact peace and tranquillity. The days of relentless “buy, but, sell, sell” really are in the distant past. In this section, apart from one secretary, there is one female employee to every 10 men, and just six women work in this area, a surprisingly low number given that the Workers’ Party (PT) Dilma Rousseff may be the first woman to be voted in as Brazil’s next president.

Just like in Tuesday’s match against North Korea, a calm atmosphere prevails in Sao Paulo’s Bovespa stock exchange. But as Brazil begins its quest to reach the World Cup final, it will be fascinating to see just how far that attitude is carried by employees of the world’s third-largest stock exchange.

Read it in the Buenos Aires Herald too, from Thursday, June 17, 2010.

Enough about my financial crisis. Joking aside, state-run Canal 7 is running the show for the moment in order to bring digital TV to the people, and although Argentines have a particular skill for hooking up to other people’s electricity wires (just look up on the average street) and internet, it’s harder to tap into a satellite dish. Plus it costs upwards of $100 pesos a month, steep if you’re a primary school on around $800 pesos a month.

Even if you do sign up for an internet and TV package, these deals often only last three months.

However, despite all the fanfare of getting the million set-top boxes out in time for World Cup – and actually only 400,000 have been posted – really, they are a pre-election bribe.

CFK lost control of the Lower House in 2009′s mid-term elections, and Argentina’s history dictates that whenever that happens to a serving president that they never get to complete their term.

So she needs whatever help she can get. Farmers are still angry over the cap on beef exports, her VP Julio Cobos no longer supports her, she’s recently been involved in an overly public verbal battle with BA city mayor Macri over the Teatro Colón’s reopening, there’s not just been mist but full-blown fog over the proposed food import ban, affecting relations with Brazil, and that’s just been the past few weeks. Frankly, voters can’t wait to head to the ballot box next year.

So reflecting on this matter, if I did qualify for a freebie, I’d take it. Without a shadow of a doubt. But only because my version of foreigner’s DNI means I can’t vote in the presidential election… and then I’d sell my set-top box on Mercardo Libre and splash out on a Maldon-salted Kobe steak…

See the <Herald, Friday, June 11, for more.

The new Aerolíneas branding

The upside is that it helps long-distance coach companies get back into the game. Aerolíneas has been subsidised by Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s government since 2008 and coach firms have basically been priced out, reducing competition for Aerolíneas.

When I went to Bariloche in Patagonia in February 2010, a bus ticket cost around $600 (pesos) while a plane ticket cost $800. In order to save 40 hours of my valuable holiday time (I get 19 days a year and we’re talking a return trip), the plane was the obvious option.

Although coach firms receive an indirect gasoil subsidy, it’s nothing in comparison with the airline’s government subsidy. And a staggered 15% rise in the price of coach tickets in June and July is also taking place, closing the gap again. In 2008, a ticket to Pinamar, 360km from Buenos Aires, cost around $60 pesos. Two years on and it is setting me back closer to $100, one way.

Coach firms are anxious to see what happens next. They rode through a rough 2009 winter thanks to the affects of swine flu, have put up with stiff competition for the national airline, and are now waiting to see what happens this winter. “Bookings haven’t been great,” says Mariano from the coach company Vía Bariloche.

Long-distance coach travel is a totally viable option in Argentina if you have sufficient time on your hands. More comfortable than taking a long-haul flight (you can relax in a coche cama bed seat, meals and movies are served up, and there are regular stops for a leg stretch), plus you have the huge benefit of absorbing the countryside from ground level, rather than peeking through the clouds to glimpse a lake or a hill.

I had the choice, and I took a flight. But if I had time on my hands, I’d go by road without a doubt.

See the Herald, June 10, 2010 for the full story.

My festival colleague, Leandro from Veintitrés magazine, told me that the jazz fest had come at the perfect time for him: “It will take my mind off the pending World Cup. By the time I get back, there’ll only be three more days until it begins,” he said.

This is true. It’s Tuesday today, and it all starts on Friday. Four years ago, I ‘d just quit my job in publishing in London, had packed up and shipped seven tea crates to Argentina and was bumming around in Spain for several weeks while the WC was on. And what with all the jazz going on at the bottom of the world these past six days, I’d pretty much forgotten about South Africa. I know England is in it (I dug out my navy-blue, short-sleeved nylon T-shirt some weeks ago) and I know Argentina is in it thanks to the excessive amount of Maradona posters pasted into windows, shops and kiosks (he’s not actually playing in it, you know…).

But the World Cup hadn’t reached my radar, to be honest, even though 10 Argentine hooligans were deported back from Southgate, South Africa today. A few weeks ago, I’d invited football guru Hand of Dan in for a chat on BA live , but apart from that and sending my footie shirt to the launderette, that has been the full extent of my awareness and support, until this evening.

Clambering off a plane at Aeroparque to take the 45 bus in San Telmo, having had the pleasure of sitting next to a wee-stinking gentleman for the best part of 30 minutes, I rumbled my butterfly-imprinted suitcase down the broken streets up to my bottle-green front door and was about to stagger up two flights of stairs when I was welcomed with an a capella version of the TV theme music from a teenager neighbour in the ‘family hotel’ (read as high-class squat) three doors down. How did I know it was thus track? Because the TV is always on at work for breaking news, and if I didn’t at the very least recognise that, then a very poor (not in financial terms) journalist I would be.

And it was that little melody that reminded me of where I was exactly: in one of football’s most passionate countries, where the fans live, breathe, sweat and sleeptalk World Cup, from the granny selling my smokes in the corner kiosco to the kids kicking a battered ball about in the street to the die-hard gentlemen who will neglect their families and duties for the next few weeks. A country where everyone has an opinion. What a place to be to catch World Cup fever. Lucky little me.

On BA live, Hand of Dan reckoned he’s the only man in Argentina who believes Argentina will win (and I’ll upload his opinions from that show any moment now). Well, I reckon, and I have no inside information oddly enough, that I’m the only English woman in Argentina who reckons England will win. Sadly, I am actually too financially poor to have a flutter, but what I have decided to do is watch those Argentine hearts, frozen or otherwise, flutter madly over the next month or, with a handkerchief in hand to mop up my feverish brow.