Tag: news

In local Native tribes they call it: a place where the rivers meet. Or shortly – Calgary

Bogumił Pack-Gamalski

Olympic Plazza in Calgary

Of all the cities of Canadian prerie provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta) – Calgary is the best known and in many ways perhaps the most influential way (in both: good and bad ways). Many eons ago it used be my first Canadian home for almost a decade. And Calgary’s main walking and social promenade was Stephen Avenue Mall. Roughly speaking a district in the middle of the city, between City Hall and 6 Street S.W. Entertainment and commercial heart of Calgary. Not the only one (17 Avenue SW is also important ) but historically speaking the main one.

Hence my walk ‘down the memory lane’ with a dear friend. Apart from everything else it is a pivotal part of my entire life. Not only my Canadian life – but my whole life. It is where I met the love of my life, my soulmate.

That personal aspect will be explored in a more poetic language in my next post. Now, that walk through the Mall in September 2024.

2024 Juno Awards in Halifax

Bogumil Pacak-Gamalski

Canadian Press is abuzz with stories about the Juno Awards, the Canadian version of US Grammy Awards. Well, not only the Press – the faithful public, too.  Canadians have always been very loyal to our musical groups, and our singers.  My John would have been delighted with it being hosted this year in Halifax and I would quietly bought a ticket for him a long time ago in advance of the event.  He truly was a huge fan of our musical performers and knew them all. He was my teacher and my encyclopedia on this subject.

I must readily admit that I could easily name the best international operatic singers of the past hundred years.  Starting with Caruso, Dame Nellie Melba from Australia at the turn of the XIX and XX century, incomparable diva Maria Callas (I am sure she is the reason the term ‘diva’ is still being used in popular culture to describe certain, shall we say, overly dramatic or tragic characters. Popular in LGBTQ circles, LOL. Even someone as timid and demure as myself was called that by few …. I know, hard to believe, LOL); great Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballe – forever associated in my memory with her wonderful performance with Freddie Mercury in their duet “Barcelona’,  of course also Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras – the original ‘three tenors’; Polish Ada Sari and great Teresa Żylis-Gara; our own Canadian mezzo-soprano Judith Forst, and Ben Heppner. Enough of that, otherwise I will never stop. But ask me the same about pop music names – the list might not be as long. I didn’t have to remember their names – I could just ask John! He shared that affection for popular music with his brother Roger, who is a good DJ’ and had his share of playing in the clubs. The two of them could talk about current music for a long time – and they did.

But back to business at hand – the Juno Awards in Halifax.  The city is abuzz about it. Who and why should win and who shouldn’t. No, I will not tell you. That is a taboo to talk about rumors like that. You will find out in a few hours. Maybe you did already.

Well, the truth is … I simply have no idea, who is running this year and who should or shouldn’t. Ignoramus, tabula rasa. LOL. John is not here to educate me. But you are much better on this subject, anyway – I am certain. So – enjoy the Junos from Halifax! A few photographs on a very cold day in Halifax of the venue for the event – the Scotiabank Center.