SLT7Doha(December09)

sur la terre foreword

» foreword

Sur La Terre – Doha

Regional Managing Editor: James McCarthy Editor: Steve Paugh

PR, Sales & Marketing Director: Julia Toon Creative Director: Roula Zinati Ayoub

Art and Design: Rena Chehayber, Lara Nakhleh, Michael Logaring, Larry Issa, Rena Cheikha Editorial Contributors: Reem Shaddad, Patricia Donohue, Francesca Serra, Lucie Bayle Distribution and Subscription: Michael Javier, Tobias Toon Printed by: Raidy Printing Press

Published by: Firefly Communications

P.O. Box 11596, Doha - Qatar, Tel: +974 4340360, Fax: +974 4340359

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>>> What is art? It is a debate that has raged since primitive man first scrawled rudimentary impressions of his hunting exploits on the wall of the family cave. According to the clinical definition, art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to our sense of the aesthetic. In reality, art is so subjective it cannot really be defined in such simple terms, just as a person’s idea of aesthetics differs from that of someone else. It all revolves around perception.

Art is visceral, it stirs something within us, conjures an emotional response, triggers a memory, builds a bridge of understanding between the artist and the audience to tell a story, make a statement or create empathy. Art can draw people together in the mutual appreciation of a shared emotion, or be divisive, reflecting the darker, more tribal side, of human nature. Art can ask questions of our humanity and offer up answers all at the same time.

This is not just done with paint and brush, or through particles of precious metal that coat a strip of celluloid, as you will find in our Showcase, an introspective look at Qatar’s creative movement; from the visual to vocal, there is a vast oasis of talent, where modern and traditional arts meet and thrive together. The challenge is to make it sustainable and build a firm foundation for the country’s creativity to blossom.

Among the leading lights of our emirate’s elevation to Capital of Arab Culture 2010, is Hala Al Khalifa, a Bahraini painter who has found a home at Doha’s Al Markhiya Gallery - and our Artopia section. Also flying the flag for young Qatari creative talent is Lama Al Moatassem. Steve Paugh follows her to Paris Fashion Week and back as she Goes Global with her innovative Toujouri fashion brand.

With Tribeca in town, we were able to delve into the deep pool of inspiration behind Elia Sulaiman’s stirring films in our Spotlight, and get a glimpse into the rock & roll world of baladeering veterans, Air Supply, in our exclusive Star interview.

Of course, nobody said art has to be stationery. It can also be found in the concerto of a full-throttle V10 Lamborghini engine and the physical beauty of aerodynamic supercar styling. In Unique Rides, I tackle the stunning new Lamborghini Gallardo, while Steve enjoys a ‘Blue Period’ in the iconic Chevrolet Camaro, both of which will go down in history as contemporary automotive masterpieces.

All this, along with our regulars, from In Vogue to the glitter-art-i of Society, invites you to come on in, culture vultures, and warm yourself among the red hot pages of your Winter 2009 edition of Sur la Terre.

James McCarthy Regional Managing Editor

Sur La Terre is published quarterly. © 2009 Firefly Communications. All material strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of Firefly Communications, is strictly forbidden.

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sur la terre content

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content 08 in town

Fresh and new, the latest exciting luxury products, launches and accessories to hit the city

16 spotlight

Sur la Terre sits down with triumphant Tribeca filmmaker, Elia Suleiman

21 good tastes

Steve Paugh takes on the Italian Scallion at Porcini

26 beauty

Cause a party stir this winter in Shivering Splendour

29 artopia

A retrospective and one-on-one with Bahraini artist, Hala Al Khalifa

34 star

Sur la Terre sits exclusively with 80’s baladeers, Air Supply

38 unique rides

James McCarthy rages with the bull, while Steve Paugh comes face to face with ‘Bumbleblue’

45 showcase

Imitating Life: An introspective look at Qatar’s local arts scene

54 objects

Practical Elegance: Beautiful gadgets that make everyday easier

sur la terre content

58 design

Dazzling Hyperbole: A look at the work of Jaime Hayon

62 star-crossed

Art and fashion come together in our very vogue Art à la Mode

68 gourmet travel

James McCarthy visits Italy’s ‘Cradle of Culture’: Florence

73 going global

We follow local designer, Lama Al Moatassem, to Paris and back

80 fashion

The newest fashion trends to grace the catwalks

93 out of the box

Get ready to think a bit differently with cool local products and activities

100 accessories

The latest accessories and trends

105 in vogue

Your guide to the latest trends in fashion and shopping available locally

114 society

Evenings out, parties, openings happening around town

123 entertainment

The best in chapters, tunes, flicks, clicks and joysticks

128 snapshot

A photograph to inspire and admire

I the agenda

Cultural events around the region

V directory

Your local and regional guide

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sur la terre in town

In Town est exciting Fresh and new, the lat hes and luxury products, launc city accessories to hit the

Secret Agent Woman Normally, we here at Sur la Terre steer ourselves away from Agent Provocateur, not because we aren’t impressed by their hallmark styles and flavourful use of fabric, but their fashions are usually a bit, shall we say, “scandalous” for these pages. However, once in a while, these agents of provocation come out with something that is decidedly “safe for work,” while at the same time maintaining that roguish zest that makes the shop so much fun. Meaning “love” in Indian, the Neha amulets actually remind us a bit of war, especially the kind judiciously doled out by the hands of a fierce femme fatale. It’s rare that a product can so daringly encapsulate the dual nature of the modern woman, at the same time celebrating both her rigid strength and sleek softness. Obviously, they pay a silent yet strong tribute to the world’s greatest and most dangerous mythical matriarchs, up to and including that two-bit hack Xena. Unlike the hamfisted “warrior princess,” however, the Neha amulets truly do shine with an uncompromising inner power and feminine grace. Available in either black & silver or burgundy & gold, these captivating cuffs can perfectly accentuate an otherwise soulless ensemble, and will undoubtedly imbue the wonder in any woman.

Pucker Potion There’s just something about the word “serum” that get us all giddy inside. It makes us think of some kind of white-bearded, wizened wizard mixing up an alchemical cure-all or powerful potion. Of course, it also makes us think of Captain America’s super-soldier serum and inspires us to jump into the nearest skin-tight outfit and do battle with crime, but that’s probably beside the point. OR IS IT! You see, Dior’s new Sérum de Rouge conjures in the mind the same magical / superpowered brilliance that lingers in our youthful imagination, especially because the Sérum seems to have preternatural properties itself.

Saturated in rich active ingredients and further enhanced with pure pigment power, the formula also uses something called hyaluronic acid microspheres, which succeed in plumping up your lippy volume (by 25% no less), while smoothing over tiny wrinkles and other flaws to leave your pucker pure. Infused with other delicious ingredients like mango butter (for softening) and the exotic centella asiatica plant (for healing and collagen synthesis), it’s really no wonder that this Sérum sends the mind reeling with both natural and miraculous possibilities.

Pucker up, Doha, and get ready to kiss colour and class the likes of which you’ve never tasted, all thanks to Dior.

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sur la terre in town

King Ralph

Ralph Lauren has been known for many things in its day, from Polo shirts to pristine suits, and each stitch of clothing, furniture or accessories has sewn itself into the very “fabric” of fashion. However, one domain where the esteemed institution has thus far dared not tread has been the territory of the timepiece. Times, however, have changed - pun intended. Using the finest of materials, like 18 carat white or rose gold and platinum with diamond embellishments, the label proves once again that it doesn’t do anything by halves. Each piece from the Stirrup, Slim Classique and Sporting collections tap into the classically aesthetic attitude that the RL label has been pushing for years. If we were made to choose a personal favourite, we’d go for the Slim Classique, quite simply because its sleekness is modern yet timeless, as each 42 mm diameter, 5.35 mm-thick face glints with the detailed workmanship of handmade guilloché intricacy, causing a completely mesmerising optical effect. Each tick of every tock is festooned with a black diamond encrusted crown and an original guillochage bezel. Completing the look in textured night is the black alligator band, which brings everything together in a classic Ralph Lauren way. Not bad at all, Ralph, especially for a first effort.

My Prrrrecious Ah, Gollum. We’ll always be fond of that diminutive yet dastardly little devil from Lord of the Rings who so plagued the upright residents of Middle-Earth with his incessantly murderous fixation on finding the one ring of ultimate evil power. Similarly, Nina Ricci has been causing us to compulsively chase ethereal obsession for a while now, but she has officially gone above and beyond by literally bottling the essence of allure. The metallic pink, mother-of-pearl, Swarovski Crystallized armour that surrounds the new, appropriately named Precious Edition perfume conceals within it a fragrance that flabbergasts with a fruity yet floral fascination. Opening your olfactory odyssey are hints of Calabrian lemon and Caipirinha lime. As you sally forth, moving closer towards the crux of your quest, you are met with a mouthwateringly musky milieu of toffee apple with hints of peony. At journey’s end, you are brought nose-tonose with unusual bedfellows like moonflower, praline and apple wood, all celebrating the delicate mixture of wintery wonderment. After one whiff, your attention will be arrested and your fixated infatuation officially cemented. Welcome to the addiction, my prrrecious.

Ghost Town

We were left buzzing from the relatively short time we spent earlier this year driving around in Rolls-Royce Phantoms and seeing the new RR Ghost for the first time. That feeling still hasn’t left us. In fact, we feel positively possessed! When you’re talking about the Ghost, it’s a bit hard not to be bewitched, especially now that it’s officially haunting the Gulf.

While rife with the same robustness that rolls throughout every Royce, the Ghost uniquely defines itself as a completely different beast. Charged with a brand new 6.6 litre twin-turbo V12 engine and given an outward, almost incorporeal appearance with a smoother, uninterrupted and less formal curvaceousness, the Ghost glides not unlike its namesake in a powerfully fluid torrent of other worldliness. Still large on the inside, yet much less boxy on the exterior, this Rolls-Royce is redefining the very definition of luxury and will undoubtedly be a favourite after it spreads further into the region from its entry point in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. RollsRoyce has defined its creations as being “cars for the moment.” For the Middle East, that moment has finally come. Get thyself to the new RR showroom at The Pearl today, and check out everything the A-listers of all things automotive have in store for you.

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sur la terre in town

Hallelujah, It’s Spraying Men Ah, the 1970’s; those were the days when men were MEN! These testosterone-laden trendsetters were bold, daring and completely unafraid to match brightly-coloured, high waist bellbottoms with platform shoes and ridiculous facial hair. For that, we salute them, and we are not alone in our praise. Tom Ford’s newest fragrance to waft into the ether pays similar homage to 70’s stallions for, as he says, “This kind of man is not easy to find anymore.” Too true, Tommy! Italian Cypress is distinctly masculine, splicing together brawny blends of Moroccan spearmint and Calabrian bergamont with sinuous spices like clove, buds and basil.

Capping everything off like a feathered purple fedora are subtle notes of labdanum, patchouli and, get this, Iceland moss! That last one brings to mind the medallion-topped, lapel-framed man-pelts so famously stylised during the decade. The bottle itself affords a glimpse into the rich, woody scent that it contains with dark brown glass and an apothecary bottle design, so it looks as virile as it smells. You think of yourself as a real man, don’t you? Well, it’s time to start smelling like one!

Coupe d’état

The X-Factor Does anyone out there remember that mid-90s movie Hackers? You know, the one where Angelina Jolie plays a sultry computer hacker and ... um, okay we kind of forget everything after Angelina Jolie, but can you blame us? Still, we’re pretty sure that it also had something to do with lusciously sleek computing hardware, which is why Sony’s latest Vaio X Series immediately reminded us of this semi-forgotten cinematic offering. With heightened wireless connectivity features, an 11.1” LCD screen, the latest Intel Atom Processor, a solid state drive and Windows 7, the new Vaio X not only sounds like the name of a secret government cyborg programme, it also has a similar level of advanced technology, but less clandestine and, you know, “deadly.” Of course, the new Vaio is also a whole lot harder to kill (also very much like the laser-toting androids of science fiction), thanks to its new Rigid Arc structure, which minimises distortion, and the durability of its one-piece aluminium palm rest. All of these newfangled features come housed in a lightweight (655 gm) shell measuring just 13.9 mm.

Getting your gear all gilded, which is one of the appearance options, may just be for style points, but we’re pretty sure that this sexy PC would even make Angelina’s head turn. Beat it, Brad.

The word “icon” is used a bit ubiquitously these days, but really it only applies to a certain set of subjects. As we indeed are the elite icon of iconoclasm, we also have the ability to smell our own. That’s why we, along with a growing number of discerning drivers, similarly recognise the 2010 Nissan 370Z sports car as an icon of the automotive industry.

Building on the first and last generation of models to bear the Z name (the 240Z and the 350Z), the 370Z, as the folks at Nissan say, “lives in the sweet spot of performance, style and value.” Now that is one impressive turn of phrase! Immediately recognisable for its fluidly aggressive style, the 370Z ripples with the taut musculature of a compact shark closing in on its kill. Like the shark, this beast hunts with slipstream speed powered by its new 328hp V6 3.7-litre engine and shaped by the retooled aerodynamics of the already immensely popular Zero Lift design.

Coupled with a new, more driver-oriented cockpit, an acute focus on performance by reducing weight and waste, and an enhanced attention to redistributing power and efficiency, the 370Z is the sort of monster that drives us into feverish night tremors. Why, it’s positively terrifying how much we love it.

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sur la terre in town

The DBS Goes Topless It’s really no secret that we here at SLT love all things Aston Martin.

Regular Sur la Terrans will remember that we first drove the DBS in our summer issue, instantly melting into a gooey, cooing mess of obsession.

Of course, here we meet one limitation of print media: you can read, write or learn about the DBS, but actually experiencing it is something else entirely. Thinking that we had experienced everything we had to offer, we never thought we would again get the chance to drool over a DBS. Thankfully, we were wrong. The new DBS Volante, which means “moving with light rapidity” is Aston Martin’s 16th convertible in its 95 year history. It may not be new territory, but being able to write the terms “DBS” and “Convertible” in the same sentence sets us all aquiver. It doesn’t hurt that we’re still trembling both physically and emotionally from the power of the 6.0 litre V12 engine, which, by the way, launches the DBS to a top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h). Just knowing that this unbridled speed is now coupled with a retractible fabric hood (closed to open in 14 seconds) makes the DBS Volante downright irresistible, especially since its instantly-recognisable profile has been perfectly preserved. Powerful, sexy and ightweight, it also packs in loads of chic-tech, like the BeoSound DBS in-car entertainment system by Bang & Olufsen, this topless Aston Martin literally drives us to the brink of insatiable lust.

Rock & L’Oreal

Forever Rings True The Forever Ring. The name alone sounds like the type of treasure that would send Indiana Jones hurtling off into another globetrotting adventure. For those of us not willing to don the rugged explorer’s famous fedora, De Beers brings this particular treasure directly to you. Featuring diamonds that range up to 0.70 carats, the Forever Ring guarantees that your engagement or impending nuptials will sparkle with the very best colour and clarity. Not only do these diamonds contain a peerless quality, but also a natural, untreated and ethically sound heart. De Beers only sources diamonds that are both conflict and child labour-free. On top of that, the ring, just like every stone from the De Beers Marque comes with the microscopic etching that allows each to be catalogued in the brand’s diamond registry for extra security. So, if you’re ready to “pop the question,” there is no better treasure that more beautifully spells out forever.

We love rock & roll, so let’s put another dirham in the jukebox, baby!

That’s right, Doha, it’s time to rock out with your locks out because L’Oreal Professionnel has come up with something to unleash the distortion shredding, head banging beast that growls just beneath your scalp.

Doing up your do in one of the new 2009-2010 Majirel hair colours is like slipping into your favourite spike-studded leather jacket, squirming into some of your tightest leather pants and rebelliously throwing up the horns, sticking out your tongue and hitting the world with a fully loaded rock & roll blaster face! All of the colours available, from the violent violets to brazen blondes crank up your crazy-hot charisma to 11. Of course, with all of this bottled aggression, L’Oreal had to make a few test runs to make sure it was safe enough for the tamed masses to take. Doing so in select beauty salons throughout the Gulf, they came up with three distinctively devilish looks for you to play with. The Drama Diva, inspired heavily by the adrenalised angularity of the 80’s, the Glam Star look is like an uneasy marriage between rockabilly and new wave punk, while Rebellious Muse takes your working day sophistication and distorts it for evening mischief. Everyone knows that you can’t stop the rock, so you may as well give in to the Majirel colour collection.

Elia Suleiman

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sur la terre spotlight

< Elia Suleiman with the Best Middle Eastern Narrative Film award at the 2009 Middle East International Film Festival >

Multiple award-winning Palestinian director Elia Suleiman has been turning heads with his tragically comedic style since he first burst on the scene in 1990 with his film Introduction to the End of an Argument. His newest film, The Time That Remains, was Sur la Terreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first choice at both the Middle East International Film Festival and Doha Tribeca Film Festival. In an interview with the coy conductor, SLT gets to the root of his motivations and machinations.

sur la terre spotlight

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< Suleiman speaks about his work to an audience at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival >

Many filmmakers in the region believe that you cannot make a political film while at the same time being aesthetically pleasing as a form of art. Do you think it’s important for Arab filmmakers to be politically engaged?

What is political and what is not political? Let’s say you’re living in the North of Sweden, and the water that used to be crisp and beautiful becomes dirty and polluted, and the fish die. Is this political? Extremely.

I don’t think we live a moment in our life that isn’t political because we have a story behind everything, a story that we should know. I think if we want to be politically conscious of what’s going on in the world, we need to acquire some knowledge of what we use in everyday life, whether that is an object, a product or a thought. I don’t think we should take anything for granted in terms of what we’ve been told. When you’re watching television, it’s a political act by itself, and you should always reserve a certain distance to keep from being brainwashed.

For example, in my case, I did not put a tank in the movie (The Time That Remains) as decor. I didn’t fantasise that there was a tank - there WAS a tank. This is part of the everyday reality of Palestinians who have to go through checkpoints. Take into consideration that I am not exactly one living under occupation, or even the experience back and forth. I sponged a reality that has this kind of violence in it. This metamorphosed into some kind of aesthetic image, so I think it’s unavoidable to live the everyday and not encounter politics. A man who has no work is a political experience; someone who is not getting good medical care is another political reality; it’s just that in certain cases, the representation varies.

In my films, the representations are made of steel, so I managed to blow up a couple of them.

Do you think that filmmaking can be an act of resistance or is that a word you would never use?

I’ve used it at least ten times today. Of course, ambivalence is also a good stance in resistance. The term “resistance” has maybe been overused into redundancy that confuses its meaning, and I think that when we are using it, we should give it a new definition. For example, I have talked about silence [in my films] as a tool of resistance. The word doesn’t mean today what it meant in the 60’s; it had a heavier weight on it back then, and I think it has expanded to include the way we are conscious of the world in which we live. If we manage in our speech and our construction of a language to always give it that redefinition, then I think it is a valid term, especially today.

If we are just going to use it as a cliche for a nationalistic cause, then I think we are just in a deja-vu situation. I don’t intend to do that, and I have no affiliation with a time that existed for its own historic context with that kind of terminology. I think the word resistance is a very touching and even tender word because it tries to deter that which is already in our living rooms. I think the fight has become a lot harsher, but the means to resist appear in different strategies. In my case, it’s in the aesthetic, but I don’t come carrying silence in the same way that somebody carries a gun. It is something that is imbedded in my films. I think that this is something we have to include in the redefinition of resistance; it should not be a tact, and neither should it be an institution. It should never be a term used in any kind of tribal fashion, because then it starts in its own way to exclude, attack and aggress a certain other tribe. One always has to bring a redefinition and the second it becomes static, break it and redefine it again. I think there is an infinity of constant motion in the way we look at these kind of definitions.

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sur la terre spotlight

< Amanda Palmer speaks to Elia Suleiman on Al Jazeera’s Fabulous Picture Show >

Since September 11th, do you see any difference in the way Hollywood portrays Arab culture?

Well, I used to think that it used to be dumb, but now I think that it has become ... well, still dumb, but a different kind of dumb. After September 11th, you saw where the shift of the genre started, by shooting here in the Gulf and using another kind of stereotype of Gulfi figures. It used to be that they were just Ferrari owners and now they are not just driving Ferraris, but are also CEOs in conspiracies against the world. The stereotyping has become more sophisticated, and the narrative itself has become more embedded and, in fact, more mischievous. It used to be obvious, you know, with Ali Babba, from Lawrence of Arabia to the animations that they used to do about Arabs. I made a film about this actually, called Introduction to the End of an Argument that used a lot of these images.

that people who are usually doing these films are in a financial power position to continue producing these stereotypes.

Lately I’ve been sent scripts from writers, including those from Hollywood, that decided to shift their position a bit more liberally and send me a script rather than a Hollywood director. They thought, “Hey this is interesting. Why doesn’t a Palestinian direct this fabulous script?” I’ve read a few of them and they are as nauseating as you can imagine from the beginning to the end, but they wanted another twist, which is for a native to conduct the technical directing. The problem is

What are your thoughts on young, up-and-coming filmmakers in the region that may not have access to local film funds?

As we talk now, the earth is turning. That means, there is or will be a shift. The fact that they are establishing funds here is a good intention, so even if they censor movies, we should always look for that non-rhetoric of why they decided to establish a fund in the first place. I am not a sellout, as you can see, to any power structure. I am a “taboo” filmmaker. I

I have lived in New York for much of my life, and the energy that exists there is like nothing I have ever seen in the world. I have an everyday nostalgia for the energy that people in New York have, which I don’t experience in Europe. There is a kind of jargon in terms of the liberalism, which I sometimes found to be dishonest in a certain European cultures, for example, sympathy toward the Arab world or the Palestinian cause, that I don’t find in the States. Unfortunately, not a lot of them can break through the “checkpoint” of who controls film financing. I am drawn to these pockets of culture because there is something fascinating about what goes on in the US, especially in the exchange and diversity you see, including philosophy and critical writing.

sur la terre spotlight

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< Suleiman in his newest film, The Time That Remains >

mean, I’ve had fatwas put on me and I’m not exactly a kiss-up, but I also don’t think that one has to simply stand statically as a critic. That’s why I came here; I can say that I shifted, and I will never play into the hands of anyone because it will kill what it is I’m doing. If somebody comes to me in Doha and says, “Here is 10 million Euros, BUT ...” well, it’s not going to work. You’re playing into the hands of the devil all your life, even when you get funding from Europe.

One of the most poignant points in The Time That Remains was the scene of your father’s reaction to President Nasser of Egypt’s death.

What is the direction of the framework you are employing in this story?

Were the political ramifications driving the cultural ones or vice versa?

Were they intertwined?

Yes, you just answered it. They are intertwined. For example, you don’t see headings of history in the film. The year 1948 is mentioned by a character, 1967 is never mentioned and Day of the Land is mentioned only on the radio. I did not try to make an epic with headings. What I did try to do is put on the screen the strong memory of my father at that moment. I always remember my father when Nasser died; it was such a grave sadness in the house. When you’re a kid and you see such a volume of sadness in your mother and father ... it is a moment that really affected me for a long time. All that I did was to go to this emotional moment and try to portray it.

As you said, you truly span the decades during your films. Stylistically, how did you differentiate between these greatly contrastive eras?

What I did for the scenes in the 70’s was try and remember how the sky was. You know, in the 70’s, there was no pollution like there was later on, so I tried to put it in a different light. I did the same thing in Divine Intervention; it was not at all consistent. In Nazareth, there was a harsh, colourful and more expressionistic light at the checkpoint,

which I did to produce a drama from ambiance. In 1948 in The Time That Remains, the choice was how to make the exterior a place of violence and the interior a place of coziness. So, you will notice that whenever a door opens, there is nothing to be seen outside. In fact, trucks were brought in to “burn” the outside in order for it to become an extreme, because these houses were soon to be lost. Every single piece of furniture, even the paintings on the wall, were made with precise research by a great Palestinian production designer. Our budget was mostly infused in the 1948 scenes in order to produce the same houses. The house in the film is actually my grandfather’s house.

I needed to see what they saw and what they did, so a lot of work went into making that effect. The rest is fiction. You trust what you call the potential truth, and the rest is cinema.

Did that moment signal some semblance of loss of a pan-Arab unity through the death of Nasser? Can there be a modern recapturing of that unity through art, and particularly film art in what you are doing right now?

No, I don’t think that this is necessary or historically viable. I wouldn’t become part of this movement if there was one. I think the world is more obvious now in regard to the definition of unity. It is not a question of identity, but one of identification. I think wherever you are or whoever you are, it’s not a question of Arabs vs. non-Arabs. For me, this idea is only used when there is something made exotic in a positive sense, or when I come here and am seduced by calligraphy for example. That’s when I say, “this is Arab,” and it’s my privilege to be a bit pretentious and be proud of being Arab when I see some aesthetics that appeal to me. I could be pompous to you and say, “Hey, this is us,” but it’s only for that moment, and someone else can say that this is her more than it is me for whatever reason. The only unity we have is to have friendship, and that’s the only thing we need.

sur la terre good tastes

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THE ITALIAN SCALLION

Sur la Terre ties one on at the Ritz-Carlton's Porcini and experiences firsthand the mushrooming popularity of TRUE Italian cuisine.

It all used to be so simple. You would enter an Italian restaurant and before you looked at the menu or stole a giggling glance at the painfully cartoonish, mustachioed Italian mascot (usually named Luigi or Giussepe), you’d have at least a vague idea about what to expect. It probably went a little something like this: some garlic bread to start, a refreshing caesar salad or piping hot bowl of pasta fagioli to follow, some spaghetti or lasagna for the main course and finally a sugar-dusted plate of tiramisu with some strong espresso on the side. It was quick, classic and, while admittedly tasty, also a bit boring. Even though global awareness has since evolved, there continue to be some strong preconceptions still held-fast by the unenlightened few. Luckily for us all, Porcini Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton is here to change all that. >>> Even your humble editor, coming from a relatively knowledgeable background in Italian culture, learned quite a lot by the time I left Porcini. For example, I learned that cream and mixed berries go quite beautifully with flakes of truffle (as in, the expensive mushroom), and that scallops served inside the shell are inexplicably much tastier than their shucked counterparts. I also learned, quite randomly, that Pepsi can “significantly swell the size of your brain.” This particularly useful bit of information is neither here nor there, but was quite hilariously told to me by the lovely Lauren Fryer, Director of Public Relations at the Ritz and my fellow dinner guest for the evening. Assuring Lauren that my brain was quite large enough, thank you very much, we excitedly took our seats at the table to discover what other enlightening odysseys awaited us during the evening.

There to launch us on our epicurean epic was Chef Luca Umberto Voncini, Porcini’s new Chef De Cuisine, who welcomed us with hearty handshakes and an excitement that matched and added to our own.

From the very beginning, the atmosphere of the evening was one slowly simmering in sumptuous surroundings and spiced with what I would call palatial playfulness. A milk chocolate colour and verve richly pours from the ceiling, and decants down the walls into a light caramel hue before swirling in a floor and decor pattern that heightens the space’s open and unassuming quality. Without strain, Porcini maintains a

classically sophisticated setting, while relaxing in its own refinement.

Intimate elements impress, from small, impeccable tables that do not lose their seclusion or privacy in the wide open floor space, and the open kitchen, where chefs conducting an orchestra of energetic flames that lick playfully at the air, wafting as they do the richly-scented promise of a pleased palate. It is needless to say with these factors at play, that while Lauren and I were filling up on conversation, our true appetites were steadily growing.

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sur la terre good tastes

The deluge of delectability began with the aforementioned scallops served in the shell and along side a dish of freshly-made polenta. Scallops are swiftly becoming a lost art, as many chefs often miss the mark by rendering them either too chewy or without discernible flavour. Chef Luca, however, proved himself from the outset to be of a much higher culinary calibre than many of his contemporaries. The subtle beauty of this starter lies in its own presentation, as the juices are held cupped around the mouthwatering morsels themselves. The red meat, or “roe” as it is sometimes called, which appears like a winter scarf around the more recognisable white scallop cube and has a consistency not unlike a softer haloumi cheese, is often discarded and not served. Such was not the case at Porcini, as Chef Luca serves everything together, giving the already impressive dish an extra pinch of colour, an unexpected, yet very welcome texture and a much more authentic flavour.

with the salty delicateness of the fish and the fleshy texture of the olives, somehow succeeded in changing my mind completely. It was light yet filling, crispy yet soft and altogether exemplary as what a modern Italian dish should be; you know, like Monica Belluci. Get it? Italian dish? Oh, never mind.

At this point, we were in that almost hallucinogenic place you enter right before slipping into a food coma, giggling with the power of full and completely satisfied bellies. Chef Luca, however, still had one more surprise for us. The special dessert was made from a rich custard base, topped with various berries and highlighted ever so subtly with cornflakelike pieces of truffle. “Truffle?” Lauren and I said in nigh-unison. The chef just smiled at our shared surprise. After taking our first bite, that smile became infectious. It’s hard to describe how shockingly well the truffle complemented the sweetness of the berries and the richness of the cream with its own slightly woody, subtle earthen flavour. Dubiousness be damned: this was delicious!

After spooning off the last of the cream, sipping the last drinkable drop of coffee and throwing down the napkin, Lauren and I said our goodbyes to each other and the chef, who was sitting in the kitchen enjoying a personal pizza of his own devising. I left the Ritz that night having learned that the ethos of Porcini to be classically Italian yet universally experimental is well met and impressively achieved. If you think you’ve seen everything when it comes to Italian food, you should visit Chef Luca at Porcini, because believe me ... you ain’t seen nothing yet.

The broccoli soup that followed was light but piquant, only just titillating the back of your tongue with a lemony finish, and tempered from going bitterly overboard, ironically, by the subdued salt of the shell fish and the grainy crispiness of the chewy chunks of cavatelli pasta. It was here, while we were vociferously admiring the good chef’s impressive skill, that he came over and revealed that all of the ingredients used at Porcini are sourced in his native Italy, and chosen from the same region to compliment each other naturally. Apparently, this even applies for the shellfish, still-swimming in the same water that they were captured in to ensure freshness. Chef Luca also told us that they regularly feed them breadcrumbs to keep them healthy and fat. Thinking that was adorable, I asked if I could take one home as a pet. Perhaps not surprisingly, I was met with blank stares and polite laughter; just like high school.

We pondered the chef’s dedication to delicious symmetry as we bit into the next taste-teaser, this one coming in the form of half moon ravioli stuffed with mozzarella and eggplant, tomato petals and “fruity” virgin olive oil. Simultaneously crispy and moist, these crescent-shaped creations were gooey without being either watered down or overly oily and led perfectly to the main event. Lauren and I both liked the sound of the special veal fillet with air dried wagyu beef, but opted instead for the slightly more tempting sea bass fillet with fennel compote and taggiasche olives. “Hmm, this smells interesting,” said Lauren with widening eyes. Thinking she was referring to your faithful editor, I quickly did a spot check, but with relief soon realised that it was the licorice aroma emanating from the fennel, and not my own fragrant bouquet. Now, normally, I’m not a fan of fennel, but the compote mixed

sur la terre good tastes

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Compliments to the Chef Chef Luca Umberto Voncini, the new Chef De Cuisine for Porcini Restaurant, comes from a delightfully complicated background.

Growing up in the mashed-up culture of northern Italy and travelling around the world for his entire life, Chef Luca has a flair for international experimentation, a passion for presentation and an almost encyclopedic knowledge of culinary history. In an exclusive sit-down with Sur la Terre, we crank up the heat and bring to boil the flavourful philosophies that make this chef the house special.

Tell us a little something about yourself. How did you come to the RitzCarlton here in Doha? Have there been any challenges?

Well, I was already in Doha, working in an Italian restaurant in Souk Waqif. Sometime last summer, I had the pleasure of meeting the general manager of the Ritz-Carlton at the restaurant. Because I like to move around the restaurants and speak with my guests, we got to talking. It’s funny: sometimes in life, things happen without you planning it. After that conversation, I joined the hotel and have been working here for over two months. Previously, I was in Doha in 2000 for the opening of the Marriott hotel, where I was one of the first western chefs. Because both the Marriott and the Ritz are run by the same management, there haven’t been many challenges coming here because most of the systems are the same. I can honestly say that this is the finest hotel group in the world; they really bring joy to work. It’s the Ritz-Carlton; it’s the crème de la crème! Whenever I think of it, my memories go back to when I was in Paris. It was a bonus when I was younger to go to the Ritz for breakfast on Sunday. I’ve always loved it.

When did you fall in love with cooking, and where did you train in the culinary arts?

Being a chef is more than a job for me. It’s more like a hobby, because my background is not really related to cuisine. I come from an area in the northeast of Italy, close to Trieste. My town is one hour from Austria and one hour from Croatia, so it’s a pretty interesting area. This is where my passion for food really began, but it was also because of the travelling I did when I was younger. My father’s work took me to many different places and my studies also took me to quite a few towns. Because of that, I used to spend a lot of time in hotels, and I would go to all of the restaurants. I always preferred the unusual ones. Sometimes, the main course was something I didn’t even know how to pronounce and even though I wasn’t always satisfied and had many bad experiences, I always wanted to try everything. When I chose to go into cuisine, many people in my family didn’t understand why, but my father said, “Hey, let the kid do it!” [laughs] That’s when I enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu academy in Paris, which was great because there were many foreigners that studied there and because the French cuisine was quite different from the traditional cuisine I was used to at home. It was a good instruction in worldwide food.

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sur la terre good tastes

What is your philosophy on food, particularly coming from a heritage that is traditionally Italian, but one that has had many influences from around the world?

Cuisine is inspired by a way of thinking and being, which you can see in the different and long culinary traditions of places like France and Italy or China and Japan. I never stay static or focus on one recipe, I like to keep thinking. In fact, the two most important things in cuisine today are imagination and culture; or perhaps, I think that your imagination depends on your culture. Look at how people and cultures have changed when it comes to food. Even in the past 14 months, the current of thinking has changed in Italy. Restaurants like Sadler or Cracco in Milan are like gardens that constantly blossom and change, even though they are 10 to 20-years-old. Italian chefs, just like fashion designers do with clothes, mesh the different types of cuisine. They have the base, but they believe in not only working together and remembering their own traditions, but travelling around the world and bringing back new flavours, mixing the past with the present. Sometimes that can be difficult, because people think of Italian food as one of four main dishes that are classic, but Italian food is a continuous movement in change and evolution, where other types of cuisine are more static. You have to be willing to take a traditional dish, break it down completely, pick out its ingredients and then rebuild it. Of course, this is easier to do in Italy because it’s expected, but if you open a restaurant abroad, it is important to be conservative in the beginning to remind the clients that this is an Italian restaurant. At the same time, you have to introduce new things with “feet on the floor,” so to speak.

I think that the reason Italian food succeeds here and other places in the world is because we are flexible, especially in the region I am from - Northern Italy - because traders would come and go from all over the world. Obviously because of wars and invasions in Italy, we have also shared a lot of different cultures. That has made us very progressive in our way of thinking, so that now, if the hotel owners or sponsors of an Italian restaurant abroad ask us to try something different, the reply is “yes” 90 percent of the time, as long as it doesn’t corrupt the plate. Now, some places in Italy are using soy sauce and ginger in dishes, but I would never do that here; I would in a fusion restaurant, but not here. We can be original, creative and think “outside of the plate,” but people have to remember we are an Italian restaurant. I mean, you can’t just wear a formal tuxedo with a pair of sneakers, unless you’re Valentino or Cavalli [laughs]. You have to be established first with your cuisine and then you can play with it. Right now, though, we’re covering the basics and the background first. In time anything is possible.

How is it to be living and working as a chef in the Gulf? What is the best part about working here and are there any challenges?

Well, I think this is a very comfortable place and I have and will have very good memories of it, especially in Qatar. It’s so full of opportunity, especially for a chef at the Ritz-Carlton. You can express yourself and be creative. Most of the time if you want to try something, they allow you a freedom to express yourself. It’s a very open-minded place, especially for food. I love the people, and will speak with anyone who wants to learn. I believe you can help any guest, even the most demanding, to be happy.

You can work with them and by taking suggestions, evolve yourself. The variety of people here is great, too. The world is changing, especially here, because of that diversity. It’s challenging because of the different ways of thinking and orientation, but it’s also exciting.

What kind of expression are you trying to put forth with this new menu?

The guests here already like our style, and we’re keeping a few things on the menu basic and classic. The rest of the menu - in fact, most of it - is very innovative for Doha, compared to menus in other restaurants. When you try the dishes, you might find yourself breaking the expectations you have when you approach an Italian restaurant. I think that you’ll find it nice and interesting, but a little bit different. For example, we have a dish with deep fried shrimp, which are cooked with olive oil, vinegar, pine nuts and raisins and are served on a kind of compote of onions. We could call this a Venetian dish because of the different spices that I mentioned used to come through Venice about 600 years ago. However, someone from Asia or Germany would say, “Hey, I’ve had this dish in Budapest or Bucharest!” To that, I would say, “Yes, you probably have,” because some of the tastes are the same, but it’s still very Italian. We also have an amazing air-dried wagyu beef on the menu. Now, it might sound strange to use wagyu beef in an Italian restaurant. Since we usually use pork in our ingredients, but they don’t use it here in Qatar, we have to find a substitute, and I think wagyu beef is the closest in flavour. It’s very nice, and we only want to use the best for taste. We still use Italian ingredients in every dish, but we are breaking expectations and presentations and then rebuilding them. It comes again to our philosophy, which is to be creative, but not forget where you are from. It’s so important to be classic yet novel, and I think you’ll find we’ve done both.

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sur la terre beauty

Shivering

Splend ur

Photographs by Angelika Buettner Make-up: Eny Whitehead Hair: Lucie Musci Production: Muriel Quoix Assistant: Marta Rodriguez Model: Lisa Wallert @ New Madison Paris Black Strass n.10 MAKEUP FOR EVER Diorshow iconic extreme mascara, Black 090 DIOR Transluscent loose powder SHISEIDO Advanced Hydro-Liquid Compact foundation SHISEIDO Sparkling Touch for Lips, Gold Shimmer 2 YVES SAINT LAURENT Clutch SWAROVSKI Ring SWAROVSKI

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Shadow X4 pure grey MAC Moisturizing bronzing powder n°2 GUERLAIN Rouge Allure Luminous Satin Lip Colour 59 Nude CHANEL Black Strass n.10 MAKEUP FOR EVER Eye Magic VELD’S Treizeor Bowtie by ALEXIS MABILLE

sur la terre artopia mode

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Hala of Fame

Sur La Terre gets captivated by Bahraini artist Hala Al Khalifa. In a retrospective of her life and work, including a recent exhibition in Qatar’s Al Markhiya Gallery, and an exclusive interview, we learn more about what makes this incredible local artist tick.

>>> Three misaligned red brushstrokes drip menacingly in thin air against an indiscernible backdrop of fading metallic purples and a sunset of soft pinks. In the middle ground, there rests a lone chair that is not entirely “all there,” shifting in its own seat as if unable to decide whether it is finally given solid form or, conversely, dissolving from existence. A barely perceptible Arabic script scrawls itself in a delirium of free verse madness across any available space, subtly implying that indeed the writing is on the wall, but perhaps nobody is there to see it. Welcome to the fragmented headspace in the land of forgetting.

Welcome to the world of Hala Al Khalifa.

< Distance by Hala Al Khalifa >

Despite the deep gravitas of her body of work, Hala Al Khalifa is a cheery individual with a million-dollar smile and a vivacious personality, both of which immediately put you at ease and irresistibly invites you to like her. It is a contradiction in terms, then, that her work is so grippingly haunting, begging the question of where this talented local artist originated, as well as the motivations that drive her. Born in London and raised in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Hala’s initial inspiration came from a very diverse mix of styles. She attributes her early art appreciation to the many pieces from a variety of Arab and Western artists that hung

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in her childhood home. Driven to pursue this innate passion in art both internally and by her family, to whom she admits she “owes a lot,” Hala began painting at the tender age of ten, when her gift was given an outlet and instruction by a family friend, who just happened to be an accomplished Spanish artist. After high school, Hala moved to America, obtaining a Bachelor’s degree with a joint programme between Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) in Boston, Massachusetts. She then returned to the place of her birth to attend Slade School of Fine Arts in London, where she received her MFA. After graduating in 2002, Hala has been a whirlwind of uncompromising artistry and vigorous production. Of course, that’s the way it has always been. Since 1992, she has participated in multiple group shows and has been invited to showcase her work to almost as many solo exhibitions in places like Bahrain, Egypt and Tunisia. One of her latest shows, entitled Windows of Separation, was even shown at Fiumano Fine Art in London’s trendy West End. Over the years, her growing experience and confidence has allowed her to evolve a style that is at the same time somber and arousing. More than anything, it is one that is difficult to define in words.

In her new show at Al Markhiya Gallery, a quiet, hunkered-down refuge in the bustling cultural centre that heaves daily in Qatar’s Souk Waqif, Hala has launched a brand new temporary show called Fragments of Memory. In it, she showcases her strengths, manipulating and disturbing the still-life physical structure and static colour of chairs. In fact, much of her work uses the humble chair at its center, and while this may sound odd in print, it is truly something to behold in practice. The very fabric

< My Second Half by Hala Al Khalifa >

of both the chair and reality unravel in dripping strands that seem to cry themselves down the canvas in loss-filled tears of sorrow, twisting as they do in sprains and slashes of bright colour. Hala herself admits that the focus in these paintings is not the chairs at all, but instead the absence of a subject entirely. With this interpretation considered, the subject becomes an invisible elephant in the room; you cannot see it, but it is impossible not to feel its tauntingly gaping nonexistence.

Fragments is not simply about chairs, however, as Hala also shows her somewhat newer penchant for painting figures. Faceless and nighformless, these figures offer you only a glimpse of their existence, never looking you directly in the eye and mostly snubbing you over a hastily turned shoulder. The effect of withdrawal succeeds, not in shunning the viewer, but instead seducing him or her to end the frustrating silence by engaging its subjects further. The name for the show is well chosen, as it all comes together in ambiguous incompleteness that resounds in a hazily fractured sense of withering memory and weathered emotion.

In a way, Hala’s technique brings to mind what might happen if the impressionist paintings of Claude Monet or Mary Cassat were drowned in oil and brought to boil.

Hala Al Khalifa presents a conundrum, but a beautiful one. She is modest, kind and self deprecating as an artist, yet her art itself is cutting and acute in a way that confounds the relationship between creator and creation. In every respect, she is a clear talent in a region now prospering with a deluge of artistry. Qatar, where she currently works and lives with her family, as well as the entire Gulf region should proud to have her here.

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Interview with Hala Al Khalifa We know you often use abstraction and a wide range of colour in your work - used alternatively in sparing doses to define, or liberally to lighten or even deconstruct. Your work on figures and objects is similarly diverse in its treatment of dysmorphic angularity, alternating between heavy, misaligned strokes and barely perceptible sketches. You’ve employed these to great effect in harrowing emotive responses such as in your Separation exhibition. In your own words, how would you describe your style and from what human connection (or lack thereof) do you draw the most inspiration?

The figures are really, really important to me. They represent a lot, I think because certain figures, like family members, play such a strong role in my life. In this life, there are so many people and so many faces. Of course, it’s not only figures. In my latest group of work (Fragments of Memory, on show at Al Markhiya gallery), there are a couple of paintings of chairs.

These chairs represent the absence of the figure. They’re big, bold and half-completed, but the subject of the painting is actually missing.

I enjoy showing that absence. That has a lot to do with my paintings being what I would call “heavy” on me. They have a lot of sadness, grief and separation, and I think these chairs are powerful in my heart because they are empty and unstable. They are my hallmark. In my work and in my life, there’s always this sense of an incomplete puzzle. I’m always looking for the missing piece. In my daily struggle as a mother, as an artist and as a working woman, I’m not seeking perfection, but I’m looking for a sense of completion, not that I think I will ever finish or find what it is I’m looking for. That’s part of why I call this show Fragments of Memory, painting bits of what I remember because I want to close this particular chapter in life. At the same time, it keeps me going. The subject matter is heavy, but when a painting is finished, it is intensely satisfying.

< My Small Circle by Hala Al Khalifa >

< Hala Al Khalifa >

We have noticed that in many of your works, including Words on Skin and After a Storm, you use lightly-etched Arabic verse to fill in spaces.

While many of the themes can be seen as literally painting an Arab culture picture themselves, is this a conscious effort to make your work more identifiable as “Arab”? How much of your work is influenced by your heritage and in what way is it influenced?

I am an Arab Muslim woman artist, first and foremost, and let me just say that the Arabic language in literature and poetry and as a visual is very important to me. Now, I’m not a calligrapher or a poet, but representing a word or sentence in art? That is important to who I am and what I do. I don’t go into a blank canvas and think that this painting will have Arabic verse on it and this one will not. Those paintings you mentioned were “asking” to have writing on them. Of course Arabic is part of my language and heritage and my mind thinks in Arabic first, so that affects me a lot as well.

Would you say you’re more influenced by the culture you were raised in and in which you had your first experience with art, or by the Western culture in which you studied academically?

Well, both. The childhood that I have come from and the house I grew up in was filled with contemporary Arab art. I grew up with paintings that were done by art pioneers who were Iraqi, Syrian and Bahraini. I also have a mother who has a huge appreciation for this type of art. If you grow up with these big names all around you, it will influence you as an artist.

As a child and then a student, I loved and studied classical Arab cultural scenery like the desert and dhows, but I told my instructor that I didn’t just want to do those things, I wanted to paint women and fashion. She let me try those things, so that’s a part of me as well. Then I went to study in America and it was a totally new thing. It was my first time in university and I was blown away by the talent that surrounded me and the differences between the other students and me. That first year was a struggle, especially because everyone was so confident and different.

It was an eye-opener, and it made me a sponge for other things. I had a strong base from my mother, but art school gave me something else entirely, and it’s still an ongoing learning process.

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You are originally from Bahrain. What does it mean to be a modern artist in today’s Middle East art scene? What are the benefits of creating here and now, and what are some of the challenges?

I didn’t choose to be a modern Arab female artist. It just happened! [laughs] But as for the scene, I think there is a lot of support at the moment from exhibitions, galleries and fairs. There are some challenges, but overall the arts scene in the Gulf is blossoming. Everything has opened up in this region, everyone is more aware and there seems to be a greater understanding about art. There are more galleries opening and the scene is expanding; it’s amazing! Before, people would struggle to go to art school and they would struggle to become artists. A lot of people in the Gulf would be artists with another job on the side, but I think that might be changing now.

The one thing I think we lack in this area is a proper art school. I know that Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is in Qatar now, but I think that’s more of a design approach. We need to give the young generation of artists the support they need, and in order to do that, we need an art school. I’m pretty lucky because of the support I receive from my family, but there are others that maybe lack that kind of help. It’s the galleries’ role to look into what’s going on and support everyone from the big names to the new generation of artists. Al Markhiya gallery, for example, provides their 40 Minus programme, which is fantastic because they are putting a spotlight on young Qatari artists and young Arab artists who want, and need, exposure to get established. Having that kind of support is great, and we need more of it. These prominent schools of fine art with strong teaching methods have been in Iraq and Syria for ages and it would be great to have them here in the Gulf. There are things like the Jameel Prize at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, which are really good because it brings young, contemporary Muslim artists together under the umbrella of Islamic culture and makes something new and cutting edge with great exposure. Having a prize would be another great avenue to raise awareness and exposure to the art scene here in the Middle East.

< The Anxiety of the Place by Hala Al Khalifa >

For me personally, sometimes people look at me, seeing the way I dress in the traditional style, and see that I paint things like pregnancies, nudes and torsos, but I don’t feel any judgements. I’m comfortable in my skin and I know who I am, so I cannot be labelled or judged. I’m allowed to do whatever I want. There is no limit.

Where do you see Modern Arab Art going into the future? Do you think it has grown into a viable international entity of the arts and do you envisage yourself as a part of a geo-artistic movement?

I think so, yes. It puts contemporary Arab art on the map and there is now this growing exposure, especially with interest from auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s. More and more, these organisations are coming and offering huge opportunities to the well-established artists in the area, to be known abroad and to sell. Where do I fit in that? Well, I always have this fear of being categorised. Will Hala Al-Khalifa change something in the art movement? I don’t know! It’s as simple as this: I am painting from my heart, because I want to and because there is this urge and passion for it. I cannot answer if I have a place in the movement, because it is up to whomever comes and interacts with the pieces to decide that. I would be really happy to know only that my work is reaching out to people. Right now, I’m just being honest to my art and to myself.

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sur la terre star

< Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell >

Fresh After thirty years, 28 albums and countless broken hearts left trailing in their globe-trotting wake, James McCarthy meets the formerly manfro-clad balladeers of Billboardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 83rd greatest love song of all time.

sur la terre star

< The pair have toured every year since 1975, and they are still not “all out of love” for life on the road >

>>> We all grew up with their songs, amid early 1980’s visions of shoulder pad-laden girls gazing teary-eyed from the windows of lear jets and sports cars, as Air Supply lamented through song that they would be “so lost without them.” However, when I sit down with the legendary duo, there is not a lear jet, nor a teary blonde, in sight. We sit together in the plush surroundings of La Cigale hotel, a day before British-born Graham Russell and Australian Russell Hitchcock play their first ever Doha gig, and it’s clear that neither are “all out of love” for their music or life on the road.

“So far it’s been excellent,” Hitchcock says of the band’s first visit to Qatar.

“So far we have seen the airport and the journey to the hotel - at night,” Russell adds with a wry smile.

“I have a beautiful room, the room service last night was very quick and the food is excellent,” Hitchcock retorts.

It is clear to see that the pair play off each other well, which is partly the key to their longevity. The naughties are far from the band’s 80’s heyday and these days, they could be just any pair of middle-aged mates; down to earth, humble and grateful that they continue to be able to travel the world and play their music. While they look a bit like your dad, they still have an infectious Peter Pan aura about them.

< Graham and Russell face Doha’s media >

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< Something in the air: Cranking out the classics at Qatar Foundation in October >

How do you keep the torch burning after thirty years? Graham, you say you write every day, how do you keep that up? What is your inspiration and how many girls’ hearts have you broken in the name of your art?

Graham Russell: Well you know this is just what I do, just wanna break hearts (laughs).

Russell Hitchcock: I just look at him and it breaks my heart ( jabs thumb in Graham’s direction).

GR: Seriously though, its just always been there - since I was ten. It’s just what I do. And I think together we create this thing that is pretty distinct, no doubt about that. We do so many shows every year and we always have.

RH: The way I see it, we’ve never been away. We haven’t had a year off since 1975, and what’s better than playing great songs all over the world? I mean, if that doesn’t motivate you, you shouldn’t be in the business. It’s just incredible to come to places like this and play.

How do you think you will go down with the Qatar audience? Do you think there will be an issue with the language barrier?

GR: Well, I think that we can actually say this is life in music. It doesn’t matter where we play in the world, because we have been all over, and some countries we played many years ago where English wasn’t the first language. They can actually listen to the song and music, so we would like to just cover every spectrum; you know, regardless of race and religion and culture. No matter what happens, they will come to listen to us live and hear the songs and that’s the connection we have.

RH: In fact, we have had many people who come to us and pick up some grasp of English by listening to our music. I think that’s a great compliment.

You famously hold the record for being one of the first foreign bands to play in Havana, Cuba. That must have been a pretty spectacular feeling?

GR: It was one of the highlights of our career. They expected 50,000, we were supposed to go on at 8pm and they just kept coming and coming.

Midnight came and we said we can’t go on yet people are still coming.

The city shut down, we were playing right in the centre and the crowd

reached 150,000. At 1am they told us: “You’ve just got to go and sing because cyclone “Dennis” is coming in”. In the end there was 175,000 people there and they had to put loud speakers a mile down the road.

It was one of those moments you know and they don’t happen very often, but when they do we just do it loudly.

Cyclone Dennis? This Air Supply and natural disaster thing - it seems the fates are stacked against you?

RH: We were at the MGM Grand in 1982, the day after we left that caught fire. We did a show in Kansas City, two days after we left, the inside walkway collapsed. We have just missed an earthquake and several hurricanes.

GR: We were in the Philippines recently to do five shows when the flooding hit, we didn’t know if we were gonna play from one moment to the next. They said typhoons were coming and everybody was glued to CNN to see the typhoon’s direction. It went out to sea then it started to come back in and we didn’t know what to do.

RH: We tried to get out of the water to get to the show, that was pretty scary We were terrified, but the guy that was driving the car was really calm. He just smiled and said: “Don’t worry, it’s just a passing shower.”

It all sounds very Spinal Tap. In 30 years of touring the world and playing concerts everywhere, you must have quite a few Spinal Tap moments?

RH: Oh, we’ve got lots of them.

GR: We didn’t know how to come here today, nobody knew how high the building was. We went up in the elevator four times before we could find the restaurant.

RH: I fell off the stage once and broke my ribs, all because I just put my foot where I shouldn’t have had. We’ve not been able to find the stage sometimes, so “hello Cleveland” and all that. It happens you know, but you try and keep it to a minimum certainly.

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sur la terre unique rides

Raging Bullet

Sur la Terre is a magazine that sells dreams. Not only for you, dear reader, but for the editorial staff too. Last time around, you might recall that Editor, Steve Paugh, got to fulfil his childhood ambition to ghost around Goodwood in the new Rolls Royce. At the grand old age of 33, and after a 24-year wait, Managing Editor, James McCarthy, finally gets to ride the Raging Bull.

sur la terre unique rides

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< Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 courtesy of Dana Motors. Testing facilities provided by Qatar Racing Club >

>>> As the quarter-mile long tarmac spreads out before me, I focus on the horizon, where the black bitumen shimmers and dances in the Doha summer heat. The Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 hums around me.

My hands firmly clasp the small racing-grip steering wheel as I sit and savour the anticipation of what is to come.

shrieks to such a crescendo, it would be inhumane to restrain them any longer. I flip the traction control off, press the big round button that says “Corsa” (which roughly translated from Italian, and I am sure with no touch of irony, means “Quickly”), push the revs to 4,000...BAM! The “Thrust Control” kicks in and we are flying, and I mean flying, down the tarmac.

I repeat the mantra in my head; “Build the revs, conduct that V10 concerto through to four thousand RPM and wait for the “Thrust Control” to kick in….”

Or not.

Snapped from my reverie, I turn to my co-pilot, Steve, and grumpily ask: “How do you put this damned thing in first!? Why are we not moving??”

“You have to take the traction control off,” he notes with amusement.

“Where the hell is that?” I cry, further frustrated by the fact that instead of blistering, face melting acceleration, all I am feeling is the heat and dust flowing in through the electric window I have just opened by accident.

“Stop Laughing!!!” I plead, as Steve sits beside me creased with mirth.

The needle continues to rise on the speedometer, while Steve laughs maniacally in the seat next to me. I am not even in third gear and we are well over 140kmh. And then it’s time to stop. I hit the brakes. The car screeches to a halt in less time than it took to hit 100kph. I realise I am breathing hard, there is a trickle of sweat on my brow and my face hurts from the huge grin that now adorns it. That must have been the best 30 seconds of my life….

Take Two

Ever since my first encounter with the ear-splitting, visceral growl of the supreme supercar god, known as the Countach 5000QV to mere mortals like you and me, I have always stopped, stared and wished whenever a Lamborghini menacingly stalked past. Pictures of these Italian masterpieces adorned the walls of my bedroom.

*Ahem* As the quarter-mile long tarmac spreads out before me, I focus on the horizon, where the black bitumen shimmers and dances in the Doha summer heat. The new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 hums around me.

My hands firmly grip the small racing steering wheel and I shift slightly in my seat, savouring the anticipation of what is to come. My foot touches the accelerator and the sound of 552 Italian horses, straining at their reins,

So when the opportunity arose to take the new Gallardo for a test drive, naturally, Steve leapt at the chance. Sadly for him, so did I, and, insisting on going along to spoil his fun, we both made the trek across Doha to the bowels of the Industrial Area. First stop was the Dana Motors service centre to collect the car. Then, after handing the keys to Steve, we tentatively picked our way around the potholes to the Qatar Racing Club to let the Raging Bull run wild.

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Now, there are those that suggest the Gallardo is just an Audi R8 with a fancy body kit and a much higher price tag. Not anymore. The new, 5.2 litre V10 powertrain that sits right behind the driver, pushes forward with the immutable force of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Also, after shaving 20kgs off the weight, it means that the latest car to carry the Gallardo name is faster than both the special edition Gallardo Superlagerra and the Ferrari 430 Scuderia.

But, behind the shouty, “get out of my way”, Italian loutishness that makes the Gallardo quintessentially Lamborghini, beats the sedate heart of a big, cuddly, four-wheel-drive Volkswagen. By that, I don’t mean that the pant-wetting excitement that is synonymous with the patently

mischievous stable of mentalist machines we call Lamborghinis is gone.

No, what I am referring to is the comfort and driveability of the beast.

In the past, the cars that rolled off the production line (or should I say “unleashed from their cage”) in Sant’Agata Bolognese, were not only renowned for their performance and engineering brilliance, but equally for their hot, uncomfortable, cramped cockpits, difficult handling and incredibly hard ride.

The new Gallardo, however, is a polar opposite. The performance and engineering remain intact (if just a teensy bit more sensible under the stewardship of VW), but you can comfortably sit in the bucket-style racing seats all day long, the driving position is ergonomic, your spine doesn’t snap every time you drive over a stone in the road and the air conditioning no longer feels like an asthmatic mouse coughing in your face. What you get is a goose-bump-inducing arctic blizzard - ideal for driving around Doha in the height of summer.

Most importantly, however, is the handling. It is a supercar that, literally, anyone could step into and drive fast. I was expecting the steering to be all over the place, as if the axle was made of spaghetti. To my surprise, the steering was firm but responsive, and the handling sharper and more controlled than Gordon Ramsey chopping onions.

Tempered lunacy, then, is essentially what Lamborghini has delivered in the LP560-4. An asylum that has a comfortable, well ventilated, padded cell interior and a Museum of Islamic Art-style, architecturally stunning, exterior.

I will admit to a pang of disappointment that Lamborghini did not add their trademark scissor doors to the latest Gallardo, but when you weigh that up against what else this streak of Italian White Lightening brings to the road, what are a set of cool-looking doors in the grand scheme of things?

It will always be considered a phenomenally good drive, as well as one of the all-time best looking cars, but, perhaps most importantly, it will always have the Sur la Terre seal of approval.

Bumbleblue,

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TRANSFORM! Sur la Terre Editor Steve Paugh joins forces with the forgotten Autobot, Bumbleblue (in the guise of the new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS), to defeat the dastardly doldrums of your daily commute.

< Bumblebee image courtesy of Hasbro. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS courtesy of Jaidah Automotive >

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>>> Bumblebee was always my favourite Transformer. Okay, that’s a lie, it was Starscream; but come on, you have to respect a traitorous automaton that can transform into an F-15 fighter jet, while at the same time using cunning, guile and subterfuge to flummox and vanquish his enemies. Plus, his shrill wail made for one heck of a battle-cry. Still, as far as do-gooders go, Bumblebee was pretty solid.

In my youth, I spent quite a few cereal stained, crusty-eyed Saturday mornings gripped by the heroic exploits of the laser pistol packin’ diminutive Autobot, whose devastating abilities included turning into a VW Beetle and ... well ... complaining a lot.

Thankfully, in the 2007 live-action Transformers movie, Bumblebee’s clout in a bot bout and a roundabout significantly increased thanks to his re-imagining at first as a 1976 Chevrolet Camaro, and then as its modern fifth-generation successor. Suddenly, the Camaro version of Bumblebee became the chick-magnetising muscle car with which all of us boys wanted to be associated. How else were we supposed to get a girl like Transformers actress Megan Fox: with “wit” and “charm”? Yeah, that’s not gonna happen; we need the car.

So it was that, last November, Jaidah Motors in Qatar made my every dream a reality, by letting me test drive the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS, which only a few months prior roared into the Gulf.

Any slight disappointment that my Camaro SS for the day wasn’t a lurid yellow (like Bumblebee), but rather a bold imperial metallic blue, quickly subsided when the distinctly beefy sound of its 6.2 litre, V8 engine growled into a roid-raged revelry. I’m still a little miffed, however, that instead of bathing in Megan Fox’s beaming smile from the passenger seat, I was instead met with the giddy (yet no-less glamorous) grin of SLT Regional Managing Editor, James McCarthy. Still, as the thunderous bellow of “Bumbleblue’s” ignition settled into the classic “lub-lub-lub” vibratory rumble for which this muscle-bound American motormouth is well-known, I felt compelled to return James’ smile and forget about anything other than this car. The guttural, disgruntled jungle-cat snarl that hums out of the 2010 Camaro SS is a thing of beauty, as is the way this pavement panther prowls across its own concrete jungle.

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The Camaro SS is not like any car we have test driven here at SLT. First of all, this coupe is a big, bad “hoss”, even though it has been shortened.

We would not use our regular verbal repertoire of “sleek” or “lithe” to describe it. The way you feel the visceral vivacity of its 426 horses surging into your toes, through your leg and into your spine as you easily hit 100kph (60mph) in 4.6 seconds, is a pleasantly unnerving experience. Immediately after pressing down the accelerator, you understand the true “thrust” of the Camaro SS experience. Saying that, you never feel out of control thanks to its stiff yet safe sports suspension and its inherent Stabilitrack electronic stability control system. Even when you’re not attempting to escape a dastardly Decepticon ambush and quite simply want to go for a nice, laser cannon-less Sunday drive, the Camaro is less than intimidating. Oh sure, we rocketed ahead from a still position with the merest press of a pedal, but cautiously weaving in and out of Gulf traffic was never nerve-racking. Bumbleblue doesn’t just have a wide base, he also tips the scales at 1,745kg (3,849lbs or 1.7tonnes), making him quite a bit heavier than his fourth-generation predecessor. I found, however, that the size and weight of the Camaro SS was more of a boon than a hinderance. It doesn’t appreciably slow the car down with drag, nor does it lessen the fun factor. It also doesn’t hamper the four-piston Brembo calipers on all four wheels that bring you to rest without the jarringly jittery judder that you might expect.

The only thing about the Camaro SS that impresses as much as its drivability is its look. Its wide, alternatively round and angular face is angry and aggressive. If you look at it straight on, it’s easy to see how moviemakers would be inspired to transform this car into a giant robot. The headlights that stare at you beneath the furrowed brow of its front bonnet are nothing if not mechanically menacing.

Thank goodness our boy Bumbleblue is a good guy. The interior takes its influence not from the intricacy of the future, but rather the simplicity of the past. The gauge cluster in the dash is fairly sparse, with only two speedometers (one digital, one analogue) and a tachometer. Just behind the gear shift, there lurk more retroflavoured, semi-squared off dials and meters for things like battery voltage and oil pressure, all of which combine to tell its story of speed internally. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find the transform button, or the switch that launches photon torpedoes; Chevrolet might want to think about making those a bit more visible.

In the end, the 2010 Camaro SS is fast, fun and most of all, ferocious.

In reality, it may not be able to transform into an intergalactic robot, but that doesn’t mean that the experience of driving it isn’t out of this world.

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Imitating Life

In an exclusive introspective, Sur la Terre turns a discerning eye on the triumphs and tribulations of Qatar’s local arts community.

>>> To the untrained eye, the Gulf region is only about one of two things: oil or gas. What most outsiders do not realise is that the Gulf, in particular Qatar, does not simply run on fossil fuels. Instead, it is being increasingly stirred by a widening gyre of heritage and cultivation. It shouldn’t be a surprise then that Qatar has just recently been named the Arab Capital of Culture

by UNESCO and the Arab League, a title held previously by such nations as Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine. The country has also been honoured as the 2021 Capital of Islamic Culture by the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). Such accolades do not normally come so liberally from the international community, and are a true testament to the country’s dedication to its own cultivation.

And yet, even though the Gulf is stoking its own flame with an ever increasing flare for the arts, and is privileged with a great deal of triumph, it is not without its challenges and near-tragedies.

Overcoming unfamiliarity,establishing appreciation and prevailing past financial restrictions are but a few of the issues with which the community must contend. However, given the right support, there is literally nothing that can halt Qatar and the rest of the Gulf states’ evolution from what was once seen as a barren centre of nomadic trade and tentative exploration into a Middle East hub of arts couture.

< Opening doors to local art: Al Markhiya Gallery at Souk Waqif >

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< The Walk of Fame: Walking the LED Carpet at the DTFF >

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< Full House: Thousands turned up to the DTFF’s opening night gala show >

< Prime seating at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival >

The Triumph of the Reel World One of the most exemplary testaments to the Gulf’s newly-flourishing love affair with the arts is the region’s focus on establishing premiere film festivals. Qatar, for example, has just recently completed the successful first year of its own Doha Tribeca Film Festival. The DTFF is the first festival waving the Tribeca banner to take place outside of the New York base where it was created by Jane Rosenthal, Craig Hatkoff, and of course, Robert De Niro. The event’s Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani worked hard with Qatar Museum Authority CEO Abdulla Al Najjar and DTFF Executive Director Amanda Palmer to create a forum of film-art appreciation by bringing the star power and artistic ethos of the established festival to the shores of Doha. Those efforts have proven to be a resounding success.

Even though the 2009 spotlight was firmly focused on the Tinsel Town “beau monde,” with significant attention paid to blockbusters like Steven Soderbergh’s The Informant, Amelia by Mira Nair and Capitalsim: A Love Story by Michael Moore, it did not cast a darker shadow on the true purpose of DTFF: to enrich and bolster the artistry of local cinema, many pieces of which were on prominent display. In fact, it was the independent and regional films, like Team Qatar, which was awarded Best Festival Film honours, and Pomegranates and Myrrh, which was

< Robert De Niro looks on at the DTFF >

named Best Arab Film, that truly grasped the artistic attention of moviegoers. Perhaps the night’s most noteworthy accolade went to Sophia Al Maria, a Qatari filmmaker who won an award for her short film The Racer. Al Maria’s film, which was part of the “1 Minute Film” collection showcasing shorts from local artists only, was by far the best of a number of talented entries shown in the lead-up to the festival.

The decision to highlight local talent by offering them a stage at such a highly-anticipated international film festival was truly visionary. The overwhelmingly positive critical reaction to these 1 Minute Films is proof that there is an opportunity for local stars to shine in skies that stretch across geographic borders and cultural boundaries. The DTFF and other festivals like it, such as the Middle East International Film Festival in Abu Dhabi, have brought to bear the reality of what can happen when the government and participating organisations rally with each other to infuse culture in a ravenous region ready to devour its own artistic fruit as well as that imported by the international community. Check out everything that went on last year at the DTFF and see what is coming up next time by visiting www.dohatribecafilm.com Even though this haute art hunger gnaws at Qatar and the rest of the GCC, they are still growing in appreciation, and in some respects are experiencing growing pains in other areas.

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< A gallery showing at the Waqif Art Center >

The Different Strokes of Visual Art The beacon of art that most palpably radiates throughout Qatar is undoubtedly the Museum of Islamic Art. Standing like a stately sentinel of the aesthetic, the MIA lords over the arts scene with admitted grace and stature, but while it is the most powerful and prolific symbol of the arts in the country with enviable financial support from the government, it is by no means the only place to enjoy Arab art.

Despite its relatively humble beginnings and exterior, the Waqif Art Center in Souk Waqif is at the forefront of the independent studio arts scene in Doha. The Founder and Director of Waqif Art Center, Tariq M. AlJaidah told Sur la Terre that the purpose of the Center is to provide a local soapbox on which both accomplished and developing local artists can stand and be recognised within their own region. For too long have our homegrown maestros had to seek out forums abroad to showcase their talents, but Mr. Jaidah and his peers want to change all that. His is a dream of changing the mentality of art in the region. “You have to understand that the arts scene in Qatar is not older than 30 years,” says Mr. Jaidah.

“It’s still in its infant stages, but we are evolving and realising that any scene like this needs to have a full circuit, from the artist to the critics.

That circle creates its own momentum.” The Center holds regular special exhibitions for visiting artists, creates storefronts to sell local antiques and modern fashion designs, has established a permanent gallery to show the works of iconic Qatari artists like Ali Hassan and Yusuf Ahmed,

and works with local and international organisations and governmental bodies to hold activities like the popular Pecha Kucha event. Raising this kind of awareness and the education fostered by the resident art school is important to a movement led by a man who wishes to give something back to the community.

As a keen collector of art, Mr. Jaidah thought it was important to share his artistic vision with his beloved city. In fact, the Waqif Art Center is within walking distance of where his house and school used to stand, in a neighbourhood where his family has conducted business for over 100 years. So driven was he to unite his family and national heritage with the growing regional arts movement that he jumped into the project with the souk’s management without so much as a feasibility study.

The Center’s early partnership with HSBC Bank has managed to keep it afloat, but as with every arts-based project, fighting to stay alive is a daily struggle. Thankfully for the Doha arts community, Mr. Jaidah and his dedicated team approach the challenges that face them with relish and a shared sense of purpose. “Our dream is to be a non-profit organisation that stimulates art in the community. I don’t want to categorise us as a conventional gallery. We have grown naturally into a hub for creative people, but it’s not our place; we don’t rule it. It’s for anybody who has an idea. I make money to keep the space going, that’s it.” He admits that there are other challenges involved in the Waqif Art Center mission, particularly in attempting to turn the tide of mass interest, but he is

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confident in the progress they have already seen, even if it is taking time. “After all,” he says with a laugh, “even Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

To see how you can build on the foundations of your own artistic knowledge and to learn what’s coming soon at the Waqif Art Center, go to www.waqifartcenter.com Luckily, the Center is not alone out there. Just around the corner, peeking out almost organically from the stone facade of the souk is yet another independent art gallery doing its best to galvanise the arts scene. Smaller than the Waqif Art Center, but no less inspirational, Al Markhiya, in just over a year after opening, has created an art house atmosphere that thrives with the energy of a big city independent art verve. Heather Alnuweiri, Al Markhiya’s Marketing and Sales Manager, told Sur la Terre that the inherent mission of the gallery is to promote contemporary Arab art, be it originating from within the Gulf or outside of it. Al Markhiya has hung many of the Middle East’s most talented artists on its walls in the last year, from the aforementioned Ali Hassan and fellow Qatari figure artist Salman Al Malik to prominent Syrian sculptor Ghazwan Allaf and the gallery’s current exhibiting artist at press time, the amazing Hala al Khalifa. Perhaps the gallery’s most unique and engaging area of interest, however, comes from its signature event, 40 MINUS. The aim of this exhibit is to embolden artists under the age of forty to show their work on a public forum. Usually a 40 MINUS event displays two or more artists simultaneously, allowing fledgling prodigies to muster the conviction and confidence so integral for later in their careers. Such an inspired platform is much needed if the arts scene is to flourish in the years to come.

Like Mr. Jaidah, Heather understands the plight faced by purveyors of independent art, particularly in regard to finances and exposure. She tells us that if they wish to keep going in a market as new and exploratory as Qatar, the smaller galleries have to stick together. “I mean, this isn’t New York,” she says frankly. “It’s still a very small scene. If you want to be solvent, then you have to work together. There aren’t many of us, so their success is our success and vice versa.” In order to truly instill in all locals a sense of artistic wonder, the gallery also works with local schools like Qatar Academy and programmes such as Schools Without Walls to foster art appreciation in the next generation. Even united, however, the galleries cannot do it on their own. There is a very simple way that the people can help the arts community: Support it. Al Markhiya is not large, but its home-like space is at once comforting and pleasant, while the art housed within it is thought-provoking and sensational. Attending an event to see astoundingly beautiful works of art and meet the artists who made them is not a chore; in fact, it is one of the few free pleasures in life that you cannot afford to miss. As Heather says, “If people don’t come and support places like Al Markhiya or the Waqif Art Centre, then art as a whole in Doha dies.” For a nation and region so committed to invigorating an arts scene, that loss would be a true shame. Even with the challenges that Al Markhiya faces, Heather is still positive about building an arts scene here and thankfully is not going to give up any time soon. To see the upcoming events calendar and learn more about Al Markhiya, go to www.almarkhiyagallery.com The passion that drives these galleries is welcomingly infectious and it is hard not to feel inspired by the drive of its participants to meet their goals through sometimes indomitable challenges. Of course, the triumphs and trials that drive and test the arts are not solely relegated to the spectrum of the visual. The local music scene, both traditional and modern, is strumming strongly in Qatar, but that does not mean it is completely free from discord.

< The in-Crowd: Crowds flock to an event at the Waqif Art Center >

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Photos of The Drizzle by Clinton Cardozo

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< Local DJ: Kevin “The Drizzle” Donohue >

< The Drizzle bringing the DJ rain >

Photos of The Drizzle by Clinton Cardozo

The Unsung Heroes of Music Particularly in recent years, Qatar has played host to a wide collection of musicians from nearly every genre. Top performers from across the gamut of sound, like Akon, Paul Van Dyke, Tiësto, Air Supply, Chingy and Nancy Ajram, have all been attracted to the small Arabian peninsula to entertain the salivating mass of world music fans. The one negative to all of this star power, however, is that this swelling group of live music junkies are sometimes blinded to the fact that we have our own, domestic modern day minstrels. Covering a similarly vast range of styles, these melody makers are often overlooked, which is a shame given the raw talent and experience that many of them possess.

Known around town in quiet, reverent whispers as “The Drizzle,” Kevin Donohue has practiced the art of DJing in Qatar for over ten years. His modest beginnings in 1998 saw him meticulously compiling musical mixes on “technologically questionable,” or in his words, “ghetto” equipment for area house parties. Thanks to his passion for Hip Hop and the country’s dearth of a discernible music scene at the time, his efforts soon got him recognised with a growing youth culture craving for something new in music. It was while working at the now defunct Rydges bar and other venues that The Drizzle befriended other professional DJs, rapidly forming as they did a small collective of performers and a not-so-small group of followers. “Looking back, this was an ideal time,” he said. “ All of a sudden there was this scene where all of these people were coming together and DJing. You’d get over 60 people coming into the [Golf Club] lounge and on the patio outside. It was sick!” From there, the vibe continued to get bigger and wilder. He started DJing at more establishments in town and participating in House music events like Global DJs, and Hip Hop parties like Goldfingers and Black Pearl, which featured Scratch, the beatboxer from the popular Hip Hop group, The Roots.

Even with this meteoric success and interest, however, The Drizzle says that he and other popular area DJs, like DJ Sam and Youngstar, are being forced to perform at smaller venues or go back to the still-thriving house party culture, or even leave the country altogether. The once booming scene is now hindered by a relatively immature live music mentality with

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increasingly stronger controls, a lack of available equipment for purchase and an inundation of names that may be big on renown, but are often small on talent. Saying that, The Drizzle is not going to change his name to DJ Hopeless anytime soon. He believes that a growing population and increasing international attention from events like the 2022 World Cup bid and the Doha Tribeca Film Festival could spell a renewed attention to the Doha DJ arena. He also thinks that educational workshops like the Red Bull Music Academy and other large events like DJ competitions might breathe new life into a genre that is scratching records not necessarily out of creativity, but because it is just trying to hold on. “I think we’re on a pendulum that is going to swing the other way completely until the events organisations, official bodies and venues realise that it’s not about just making profit. We have to go back to fostering a local music scene.” To get in touch with Kevin “The Drizzle” Donohue, visit his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kdonohue

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< Mic Check: Preserving and fostering Qatar’s local vocals >

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< Saoud Jassim: strumming the strings of traditional music >

It seems to be the same song but a different track on the traditional side of local music in Qatar. The love of traditional Arabic music can be felt everywhere in Qatar, from the songs that blast from car stereos to the stacks of CDs that stand like armies at area stores. Accomplished singer Saoud Jassim and the man he regards as his teacher, famed Qatari artist Essa Al Kubaisi, are but two of the singers that perform out of Doha Sound Studio. Founded in 2003 by Mr. Matar Ali Alkuwari, the studio feels more like a loving family home than a meeting place for talented musicians. Its vibe is best summed up by Essa, who said, “In Doha, we consider all singers to be part of our family.” Even though it glows with a familial pride, the studio is still serious about music. It has welcomed classically trained crooners from around the Middle East, at the same time allowing local talent a space to polish their skills. Saoud, who has been singing professionally for five years, and Essa, who has been singing for 12, say that their style comes from an appreciation of the traditional Qatari music that was always played in their own homes. While they love and are dedicated to the sounds of their youth and timeless culture, they also enjoy adding a modern touch by implementing new sounds and international collaborations from composers from places like Turkey and Egypt. “We try to be in the middle between tradition and the new voice of music,” says Saoud. “We want to keep the heart of the traditional sound of our music, but we want to appeal to everyone, so we have started to mix the old sounds with Western-style beats to make a new style.”

Unfortunately, singers like Saoud and Essa, much like The Drizzle, feel as though their particular “voice of music” is being drowned out by the shadow of visiting musicians. Outside funding for the studio and its singers from the government or other organisations is nonexistent,

< Essa Al Kubaisi: Singing the songs that the whole Gulf sings >

which means that not only must each singer pay for the production of his own CD, but that it is all but impossible to cover costs for advertisements and marketing. Often, these extremely talented locals are overlooked in lieu of performers from other countries to perform at national cultural events. “It is frustrating because we want to sing the praises of Qatar at these events,” says Saoud. Artists like these two do not mind the big musical artists that come to Doha, but they think that the organisers should let them in on the act by allowing them to participate in some way at the main event, or at very least open the show. Even though the support structure for these vocalists may be missing, that does not mean the resolve of their voices will fade. “We are proud of being Qatari,” says Essa. “But if we don’t hold onto our traditions, they will fade away. We will always try to hold onto them.” To see how you can enjoy their music, visit Essa’s website at www.essaalkubaisi.com or email the Doha Sound Studio at dohasound@dohasound.com What begins in the wet scratch of a paint-marinated brush on textured canvas continues in the flickering veil of a light-soaked cinema screen and resonates in the warbling tones of a time-honoured melody, or in the guttural rhymes that grate across scratched vinyl records. The arts in the Gulf are as diverse and visionary as any other region in the world, and as such they face their own sets of challenges. When supported by corporate entities, governments and the community, the arts in the Arab world are unstoppable in passion and infinite in scope. With a renewed attention to cultivating each art form at every level, and a willingness to embrace the true promise of its recent international accolades, Qatar stands poised at the precipice of an artistic present and at the brink of a culturally robust future.

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PRACTICAL ELEGANCE Elegant, smart, and practical, today’s objects exist for pleasure and comfort.

Sur la Terre discovers the new designs that make our lives easier.

WORDS: Lucie Bayle PICTURES: All rights reserved

TAG Heuer’s Meridiist Automobili Lamborghini

Inspired by the power and grace of the mythic Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640, TAG Heuer has teamed up with the famous Italian super sports car manufacturer to create the limited edition Meridiist Automobili Lamborghini communication instrument. This very sophisticated phone is hand assembled and composed of more than 400 mechanical components, many derived from legendary TAG Heuer chronographs. It also has such distinctive features as a dual time display for discreet at-a-glance time monitoring and the TAG Heuer dual function control switch to track incoming calls. The Meridiist Automobili Lamborghini is luxuriously crafted and detailed, marrying the most prestigious materials and advanced components in the watchmaking and automotive worlds. www.tagheuer.com/meridiist

Golden touch/ Golden images

Owing to the highly competent aluminium finishing, the designers of Bang & Olufsen were able to finalise the unique golden shade that will be added to the present range of colours.

Nevertheless, to preserve the exclusive golden shade, only a few products (including some of Bang & Olufsen’s most emblematic audio and video products, as well as an additional range of loudspeakers) may be ordered in their new golden version. The golden shade will only be supplied to order and for a higher price. www.bang-olufsen.com

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Enter the light

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With the 3 new Wake-up Light models, let the sun wake you up even in the dead of winter.

From now onward, the iPod will also contribute to the wake-up ceremony thanks to an integrated station. Half an hour before the desired wake-up time, the Wake-up Light is set in motion and the lightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intensity increases gradually. Moreover, four natural ringtones are offered: bird twittering, African jungle, chimes in the wind or soft sound. You will, thus, be able to select your favourite station to wriggle out of the arms of Morpheus thanks to an integrated digital radio, or opt for your song with the HF3490 design equipped with a station for iPod or iPhone. As for those among you who love to read in bed, you will be able to enjoy the optimal light intensity of the Wake-up Light to plunge you deep into your favourite novel . www.philips.com

Maximum comfort

Who has never experienced the unpleasant sensation of having their legs burnt by their laptop? To remedy this problem, the new HeatProtectâ&#x201E;˘ PC Covers, with their three protective layers shield you and your computer from any excess heat. The plain surface ensures sufficient ventilation and constitutes a solid supporting surface for the PC. An integrated handle makes transportation particularly easy. www.philips.com

Precision and lightness

Lumix DMC-GF1: the latest of the Lumix G marks a real breakthrough in the world of digital photography. The DMC-GF1 is a real, lightweight and easy-to-use compact that offers all the creative potential of a reflex without its drawbacks. Designed for photographers seeking a precise, highperformance and designer camera, the GF1 unquestionably delivers spontaneous photographs and frees us from the restraints of the reflex universe without compromising on quality. The new Limux also offers High Definition video, a number of manual modes and PASM photo and video. It is available in white, black and silver. www.panasonic.com

HO 2

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sur la terre design

Dazzling hyperbole < A view of Terraza del Casino, Madrid >

WORDS: Francesca Serra

PICTURES: Nienke Klunder (Hayonstudio)

At 35, Jaime Hayon is among the major contemporary designers in the world. Widely praised for this fanciful sensibility, his prestigious portfolio includes lamps for Metalarte, figurines for Llandr贸, fabrics for Bernhardt Design, a collection for Baccarat, shoes and stores for Camper, lampshades for Swarovski, chairs for Ceccotti, as well as various interiors and exhibitions. His exuberant work is a constant movement along the border between art and design but his touch is distinctive in the way it encourages positivity.

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< Swarovski Sparkle Shady with multileg cabinet from BD Showtime Collection >

< AQHayon collection for Artquitect >

< Mediterranean Digital Baroque exhibit >

< “Green Chicken” rocking chair >

>>> Born in 1974 in Madrid, Hayon entered the universe of drawing as a teenager when, thanks to his fascination for the flourishing skateboard culture, he started developing his aesthetic sensitivity through graphic design and graffiti.

His talents were noticed by an American skateboard company that offered to sponsor a one and half year stay in San Diego. Back in Madrid, he began studying as an industrial designer. Dividing his time between Madrid and Paris, he was faced with somewhat strict academic paths, which only served to reinforce his belief in experimentation and the intersection of disciplines.

In 1997, he was offered the chance to attend Fabrica, the creativity hub run by Benetton and set up by the legendary Oliviero Toscani. He rose to become Head of Design just one year after his arrival, at the age of 24. After seven years, he finally opened his own studio in the Spanish design mecca of Barcelona. His purpose was to dedicate all his energy

to pure creation, without having to worry about all the organisational aspects of design. This looks to have been a fortuitous move, since today he is considered something of a star in the design world, or perhaps a supernova of design, considering the extremely short space of time his ascension has taken.

The first collection that internationally showcased the unmistakable elements of his style has been AQHayon, the bathroom series for Artquitect.

Composed of elegant pieces that mix nostalgia and minimalism, the collection is flavoured with a notion of bespoke and personal use. The proportions of the slender legs and the touch of flashy colour reinterpret classical family furniture with a surrealist twist. The same whimsical sensibility can be found in the Showtime Collection created for BD Editiones. Inspired by the glorious MGM musicals, the elements play with materials to create soft and organic shapes. Cold materials including ceramic and plastic combined with tactile materials such as leather, give birth to wonderful pieces which create emotion and warmth.

Indeed his design embraces art, craft and tradition. His peculiar dialogue with tradition is proved by his success in twisting and tweaking companies’ histories into something new,by reinterpreting their heritage and breathing new life into old genres. His assignment with Bisazza has combined a home collection with the creation of pure theatrical installations like the Pixel Ballet and Jet Set. The Pixel Ballet, a huge bejewelled Pinocchio, is an installation that mixes art and industrial application.

This piece is a pure symbol of craftsmanship as the different parts and stages of this creation have put together the best professionalism and genuine tradition.

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< Pixel Ballet, installation for Bisazza >

The body has been created in Valencia according to an old tradition of big sculptures made in polystyrene and fibreglass for special festivities. The vases have been tested and created in Nove in the North of Italy, while the white and gold mosaics were applied in Spilimbergo, one of Italy’s renowned mosaic-making centres. The result is an ode to imagination, a surreal temple for Bisazza objects. This cross-border piece is illustrative of the designer’s universe, populated with creatures coming from the past and the future, like reassuring aliens. “The elements that make up this large-scale installation are part of my personal cosmology, where intuition alters reality, creating a scenario far from conventional”.

Grotesque and fabulous, sophisticated yet burlesque, the elements of Hayon’s discourse can also be successfully declined in public spaces including Camper’s boutiques, or Haute Cuisine restaurants such as the Terraza del Casino. He has re-designed the restaurant in the heart of the Spanish capital, creating the best set for Paco Roncero’s imaginative and innovative kitchen. Hayon has imagined everything, from the black-andwhite-checked floor from Bisazza to 2 meters high chandeliers and 65 different dining chairs. The studied use of mirrors on the walls dilates the space that is punctuated by monumental but sinuous columns. Even details like the decorated plates, ceramic and gold pieces, as well as the display cabinets have been carefully considered to create 200 square meters of Hayon’s pure “Contemporary Baroque”. The ambience is a reinterpretation of the 16th century with his usual “Alice in Wonderland” touch, creating a harmounious and humorous result.

Using his own words to describe his fantasy, Mediterranean Digital Baroque or Mon Cirque, evoke his heterogeneous and unexpected production. From a green rocking chair to an oversize ceramic cactus, his world can talk about childhood and tradition, modernity and nature.

Constantly crossing the borders between art and design, his oeuvre is proudly hybrid; navigating between functional and decorative, playing with the magic confluence of practicality and beauty, at their delicate intersection.

This prolific artist can translate the joie de vivre into his domestic landscapes, turning them into amusement parks. We can call him “metaeuphoric”. I am sure Jaime does not mind if I transgress the rules of grammar while he transgresses the rules of design.

< Hayon sitting on a double poltrona from Showtime, a collection for BD Ediciones >

Sur la Terre: What are the worst and best memories at the beginning of your career?

Jaime Hayon: Every start faces its challenges. I began working in the design field quite young and had to learn quickly about responsibility.

My first job was very demanding and my superiors more so. I was 24 and responsible for an entire design department, working on projects across the globe. This was scary and intimidating at first. Fortunately, I was able to pull myself together quickly and face the challenges before me, but it was no piece of cake. My best memory is probably the first time I felt someone believed in my ideas. It was possibly Bosa, a ceramic manufacturer. I presented an installation I wanted to make and he invested on it, allowing me time and resources to see it come true. This was my first installation as an individual and it was really important for me. After this, I decided to form my own studio and work for myself.

SLT: How could you define your family inheritance in your work?

J.H: Family is essential for being who you are. In this sense, my mother was a tremendous source of inspiration throughout my life. I learnt the virtue of working hard and taking pride in doing so. Aside from “loving what you do”, she taught me much about approaching life with enthusiasm and a smile. In my work, you can feel elements of my history: where I am from, my skateboarding years, the people I have met along the way, my experiences abroad... all these traces make up what you are and your work reflects this.

SLT: Can you name one of your “pleasure rituals”?

J.H: I love to have dinner with friends. A warm table and good conversation. I think it is one of the nicest pleasures in life: simple, yet it means everything to me.

SLT: Do you have any important projects outside of the design field?

J.H: All projects are important to me. I am working on a new installation with my girlfriend Nienke. It is an art installation we have been working on for years. It is very exciting to see it finally taking shape. The pieces will be amazing!

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Art à la Mode Production Firefly Communications Art Direction Roula Zinati Ayoub Photography George Khoury www.georges-khoury.com Stylist Chantal Mossess Accessories and Jewellery from AL FARDAN Jewellery for Maria Gaspari, Gorgolione villa moda for Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Valentino, D&G, Marni Remza for Coccinelle and BCBG Max Azaria Leonardo Da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian polymath, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, painter, anatomist, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician and writer. Leonardo has often been described as the archetype of the Renaissance man, a man whose unquenchable curiosity was equalled only by his powers of invention. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived.

Green & white earrings & necklace Maria Gaspari Large, wide bracelet (with gold) Gorgolione Yellow set (ring, bracelet & necklace) Maria Gaspari Scarf (men’s) Dolce & Gabbana Bracelet Marni Bag (black & gold) Dolce & Gabbana Scarf (gold) Valentino Belt Coccinelle

sur la terre star-crossed

Sunglasses Marni Belt (red), Tie (blue) & Bracelet Gucci Shoes (ladies) Marni Bag Coccinelle Tie (grey), Belt (black) & Gloves D&G Necklace Dolce & Gabbana Bag (clutch) Valentino

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Piet Mondrian Pieter Cornelis “Piet” Mondriaan, after 1912 Mondrian (March 7, 1872 – February 1, 1944), was a Dutch painter and an important contributor to the De Stijl art movement and group, which was founded by Theo van Doesburg. He evolved a non-representational form which he termed Neo-Plasticism. This consisted of white ground, upon which was painted a grid of vertical and horizontal black lines and the three primary colours.

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Shoes (ladies) D&G Shoes (men’s) Gucci Purse Marni Tie Gucci Watch Coccinelle Bracelet (crystal) Valentino Bracelet Marni Sunglasses Dolce & Gabbana Necklace Marni

Roy Lichtenstein Roy Lichtenstein (October 27, 1923 – September 29, 1997) was a prominent American pop artist, his work heavily influenced by both popular advertising and the comic book style. His first work to feature the large-scale use of hard-edged figures and Benday Dots was Look Mickey. The piece came from a challenge from one of his sons, who pointed to a Mickey Mouse comic book and said; “I bet you can’t paint as good as that, eh, Dad?”

sur la terre star-crossed mode

SALVADOR DALI Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marquis of Púbol (May 11, 1904 – January 23, 1989) was a Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres. Dalí was a skilled draftsman, best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work. His painterly skills are often attributed to the influence of Renaissance masters.

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Bag Valentino Tie Dolce & Gabbana Boots Coccinelle Watches Coccinelle Watch Ring Dolce & Gabbana Watch Keyring Dolce & Gabbana Belt Coccinelle

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Andy Warhol Andrew Warhol (August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was a leading figure in the Pop Art movement. After a successful career as a commercial illustrator, Warhol became famous worldwide for his work as a painter. Warhol has been the subject of numerous retrospective exhibitions, books, and feature and documentary films and it was he who coined the widely used expression “15 minutes of fame.”

Shoes Valentino Bag Valentino Tie Gucci Belt Valentino Watch Coccinelle Earrings BCBG Belt Valentino

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sur la terre gourmet travel

Florence

The Fount of Fine Art

< Florence is known as “The Cradle of the Renaissance” >

In keeping with the all encompassing theme of “art”, James McCarthy visits the “cradle of the European Renaissance”, and arguably the cultural capital of Italy. Come with us on our Tuscan trek to Florence. >>> Above the dome of The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, the winter sun languishes low in the sky as a flock of pigeons takes flight in to the crispy December air, startled by a group of stylishly coiffured Italian women making their way across the Piazza della Signoria.

As Sur la Terre sits, al fresco, in one of the many cafes to line the sides of the L-shaped Piazza, taking in a perfectly prepared cappuccino, we reflect on the rich, cultural history of this beautiful city.

< Machiavelli was one of Florence’s famous sons >

Florence has a legendary artistic heritage.

Cimabue and Giotto, the fathers of Italian painting, lived here as well as Arnolfo and Andrea Pisano, renewers of architecture and sculpture.

The world can also thank this stunning, eternal conurbation for raising the forefathers of the Renaissance; Brunelleschi, Donatello, Masaccio, Ghiberti, Angelico, Botticelli, Paolo Uccello and, of course, the most famous sons of all, the universal genius of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Built on such a solid cultural foundation, it is no surprise that physical shrines, in Renaissance, gothic and baroque architecture, have been created to house their works. Florence, quite rightly, marks its global cultural importance

with several museums and galleries, each of which is home to one or more works of the afore mentioned artistic heavyweights, as well many other generations of great Italian creatives of lesser renown, but no little importance.

No visit to Florence is complete without a tour of these houses of artistic worship: the Uffizi Gallery, the Palatina gallery, The Bargello Tower with the sculptures of the Renaissance, the museum of San Marco with Angelico’s works, the Academy, the chapels of the Medicis, and Buonarroti’ s house with the sculptures of Michelangelo.

The Bardini, Horne, Stibbert, Romano and Corsini museums, The Gallery of Modern Art and The museum of the Opera del Duomo are also must visit locations.

Florence itself is one huge canvas, upon which some of the world’s most beautiful buildings and architecture combine to make the Tuscan capital one of Italy’s finest works of art.

Florentine artistic culture resonates from every cobble and every brick: the Florence Baptistery with its mosaics; the Cathedral with its sculptures, the medieval churches with bands

sur la terre gourmet travel

of frescoes; public as well as private palaces such as Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Palazzo Davanzati through to monasteries, cloisters and refectories.

In fact, the city is so rich in art, that Stendhal syndrome, a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, confusion, and even hallucinations, when an individual is exposed to art (usually when the art is particularly beautiful or a large amount of art is in a single place), is often referred to in laymans terms as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Florence Syndromeâ&#x20AC;?.

< Elegant and luxurious renaissance interiors adorn The Grand Hotel >

In his book, Naples and Florence: A journey from Milan to Reggio, the famous 19th century French author, Stendhal, writes that he first experienced the phenomenon, now named after him, during his visit to the city in 1817.

Republic and Renaissance This bohemian character belies the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s militaristic heritage, however. Florence was established in 59BC by none other than the great Roman general, Julius Caesar, as a settlement for his veteran soldiers. It was built in the style of an army camp in the fertile valley of the vast Arno river. It soon became an important commercial centre, famed for its food and wine. Tuscany is one of the great wine-growing regions in the world. The Chianti region is just south of Florence, and its Sangiovese grapes

< The dome and architecture of Florence Cathedral are considered masterpieces >

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The city’s Great Council elected Niccolò Machiavelli as Secretary to the second Chancery of the Republic of Florence. Machiavelli, like Da Vinci, is considered a typical example of the Renaissance Man whose creative gifts went far beyond just the scope of his civil service role. His name has also become synonymous with the use of cunning and deceitful tactics in politics. His prescriptions for Florence’s regeneration under strong leadership have often been seen as a legitimisation of political expediency and even malpractice. This led to the second period of Medici rule. Florentines drove out the Medici for a second time and re-established a republic in 1527. Restored twice with the support of both Emperor and Pope, in 1537, the Medici became hereditary dukes of Florence, and in 1569 Grand Dukes of Tuscany, ruling for two centuries.

Crossing Ponte Spanning the lazy ebb of the Arno river is the Ponte Vecchio, one of the city’s most famous landmarks and a must see during any trip to the city.

Meaning “Old Bridge” in Italian, the Ponte Vecchio was built in 1345 at the river’s narrowest point and is noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common. In order to connect the Palazzo Vecchio (Florence’s town hall) with the Palazzo Pitti, in 1565 Cosimo de Medici had Giorgio Vasari build a covered corridor to run above the shops of the bridge. The famous Vasari Corridor is the result. < A replica of Michaelangelo’s David stands outside the Palazzo Vecchio >

figure prominently not only in its Chianti Classico wines but also in many of the more recently developed Supertuscan blends. The celebrated Chianti Rufina district, geographically and historically separated from the main Chianti region, is also few miles east of Florence.

However, while it might not seem so now, the city was often troubled by warfare between the Ostrogoths and the Byzantines, and Florence was conquered by Charlemagne in 774 and became part of the Duchy of Tuscany, with Lucca as capital. It was around 1000AD that the Golden Age of Florentine art began.

Butchers initially occupied the shops, but, the present tenants are jewellers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. It has been described as Europe’s oldest wholly-stone, closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge, and while there are older examples, none are set against a more beautiful urban backdrop.

It is also widely believed that the economic concept of bankruptcy originated on the bridge. When a merchant could not pay his debts, the table on which he sold his wares (the “banco”) was physically broken (“rotto”) by soldiers, and this practice was called “bancorotto” Not having a table anymore, the merchant was unable to continue trading.

By 1348, the Black Death was sweeping across Europe, and there was further strife in the Tuscan air, as Florence became the scene of an attempted strike by wool combers (ciompi) bringing the city’s wool trade, which employed around a quarter of the local population, to a halt. Unhappy with the oligarchic rule, problems continued and in 1378 resulted in a brief uprising known as the Revolt of the Ciompi. After their suppression, Florence came under the sway of the Albizzi family.

However, this dynasty was not to last long, and through various political machinations and, for want of a better word, Wasta, Cosimo Medici (the Medici family were bankers to the, then, all-powerful Vatican, which more than eased their way to power) slowly but surely took control of the running of Florence. This was to become the catalyst for the great Renaissance. Cosimo’s Medici’s grandson Lorenzo took control of the city in 1469, and became a great patron of the arts, commissioning works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli. Lorenzo was also an accomplished musician and brought some of the most famous composers and singers of the day to Florence, including Alexander Agricola, Johannes Ghiselin and Heinrich Isaac. He became known by contemporary Florentines, and remains referred to today, as “ Lorenzo il Magnifico” (Lorenzo the Magnificent). The first period of Medici rule came to an abrupt end with Lorenzo’s son, Piero II, in 1494.

< The Via de Tornabuoni is home to most of fashion’s stellar names >

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< The Ponte Vecchio from above with the Vasari Corridor >

Florentine Fashionistas Back to our coffee and stylishly coiffured trio of ladies, we finish up our last Biscotti and drain our cup as they go, laughing and clip-clopping past. It is unsurprising that these Florentine sirens take great pride, like most Italians, in the way they turn out in public. The city is, historically, the first home of Italian fashion. Since the early 1950s, when Giovanni Battista Giorgini established the Italian school, a fashion principle to compete with French haute couture, the city has since become home to the legendary Italian fashion establishment Salvatore Ferragamo, notable as one of the oldest and most famous Italian fashion houses.

< La Piazza della signoria >

< The entrance hall to the Grand Hotel is a work of art in itself >

Many others, most of them now located in Milan, were founded in Florence.

You will find all of the stellar names of Italian fashion domiciled in the city, with Gucci, Prada and Roberto Cavalli running large offices and stores in Florence or its outskirts. Florence’s main upscale shopping street is Via de’ Tornabuoni, where just about every major luxury fashion house and jewellery label from Chanel, Armani, Ferragamo and Bulgari, have their elegant boutiques and ply their trade on this very real street of dreams.

To really immerse yourself in the luxury and culture that Florence has to offer, live like a patrician during your stay. The Grand Hotel was once the formal residence of, among others, the aforementioned Medici family, which as we know, ran the city as an vindependent state for more than three centuries and played a major part in the birth of the Renaissance. Located on Piazza Ognissanti overlooking the river Arno, the hotel stands in the heart of the the historic centre of the city and just walking distance from the most famous works of art and the Via de’ Tornabuoni. The hotel’s design encapsulates the typical elements of Renaissance Florentine Architecture, with fine decor, precious marble and stained glass, and is the perfect place to rest your head when the Stendhal syndrome hits.

sur la terre going global

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Toujouri du Jour Steve Paugh charts the rise of Qatar-based fashion designer Lama Al Moatassemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Toujouri fashion brand and explores its bright future on the international sphere.

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sur la terre going global

>>> Fashion designers are supposed to be unapproachable. They are meant to walk around in impeccably odd clothes and look down on the world through violet, crescent moon-shaped glasses, whilst puffing away on one of those long cigarette holders from the 1920’s.

Wait, maybe I’m thinking of wizards. The two groups are very similar.

In any event, my exploration within international design direction has been one filled with a genius and beauty often tainted with vapidity, aloofness and self-importance. After several disappointments, I was willing to acquiesce and resign myself to a new jaded acceptance of the fashion world’s status quo. That’s when I met Lama Al Moatassem and everything changed.

I first met Lama at Paris Fashion Week in October of 2009. After being inundated by not only the taciturn temperament of the fashion elite, but also the rich offerings of haute couture over the week, I was beginning to turn a bit jaded. When I wearily approached Lama’s floor space at the event, however, I was instantly invigorated by what I can only describe as a very humble, enticingly “real” energy, not only in this amazing young woman’s inspirational styles, but also in her disarming demeanor. It is hard to find an untarnished jewel within the heaving sea of sensenumbing sparkle that is Paris Fashion Week, but both Lama and her new brand, Toujouri, are testaments to the fact that there are still glimmers of hope within an international scene that has glossed over its own lustre.

sur la terre going global

Lama, a Palestinian who grew up in Qatar, often gets chided for being “too young” in a field of aging plasticine giants. “Personally,” she tells me through a hint of a smile, “that’s the biggest challenge for me: people taking you seriously for your age.” And yet, to do so would be a fallacy, given her impressive education and already vast experience within almost every major aspect of the creative design. After studying at Central St. Martins College of Art & Design in London, where she learned to focus her creativity, but soon felt stifled and wanted to spread her wings, in a bold move, she made the switch to London College of Fashion, where she garnered experience in a variety of different elements, such as working with prints and embroidery, and admits to benefiting from a better all-around education. At the same time that she was attending classes, she scored an internship with wellestablished French fashion house, Chloé, to whom she attributes her first experience in getting her hands dirty in the daily grind of fashion.

In her final year, she was granted another high-profile internship, this time at Matthew Williamson, where she was eventually offered a job in international wholesale, networking with top buyers in both the Middle East and Europe.

In her relatively short time in the business, she was able to gather a wealth of experience. Added to her own innate drive and determination, these new skills developed abroad would allow her to build up the

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professional confidence to move forward in her career. It wouldn’t be long before she tore away from the big names with which she was already associated and create something all her own. “Not doing my own thing wasn’t even an option,” she admits with an infectious nonchalance. “Working for another designer is something I would encourage EVERYONE to do, but I wasn’t just satisfied to have a cheque in the bank at the end of each month. I’d always really wanted to start something by myself, and I’ve always known that I would.” Her explanation is confident without being cocky, exuberant without being excessive and palpable in the designs of her new brand, Toujouri.

Meaning “treasure box” in Arabic, Toujouri is the creative culmination of a life lived within varying realms. Its name is well chosen, representing an instantly recognisable, preciousness based partly on the richly sensual heritage of the Middle East and partly on the trendsetting designs of the modern Western world. Lama seamlessly meshes her own interwoven background throughout, thereby creating something that swirls from a tapestry of tradition into a worldwide appeal. “I was looking at ways of combining my own identity and background with my lifestyle,” she told me, lightly combing her hand across dresses that flow like the liquid veil of a waterfall face. “I started looking at Vogue archives from the 1970s, particularly in the way they referenced Middle Eastern fashion into the European market.

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“Everything in the collection is intended to be a mix,” she continued.

“For example, I’ve combined the inspiration of tradition with the geometric optical illusions and colours of the 70’s era, while at the same time referencing the same elements of the Hattah (aka Keffiyeh, or the traditional Arabic headdress). I wanted to have that free spirit of hippie elegance and create something that had a traditional resemblance with a luxury feeling.” During Paris Fashion Week, Lama recorded interest from nearly every conceivable market, including Europe, Africa and, of course, the Middle East. This amazing response has already put the collections of Toujouri at the vanguard of a modern Arab allure on the worldwide scene, not to mention back home in Qatar. The new Toujouri boutique, which has been designed by multi-award winning celebrity architect Peter Marino, is set to open in March 2010 as the only local brand on Doha’s own manmade island, The Pearl. More than anything, she is showing her home town that with persistence and passion, the archaic ideas that some people in the international community still hold about the Middle East can be changed. “I’m proud of my culture, traditions and religion. At the same time, I think it’s important to be part of an emerging international standard. Being part of Paris Fashion Week is very important because it helps to change people’s perception of what Middle Eastern fashion is about. Yes, we have the traditional pieces, but we can also be modern and innovative. People from all over the world were able to come to Toujouri and appreciate the styles, craftsmanship and aesthetic of the product.”

The Toujouri concept has more depth than just a marriage of styles, incorporating other facets that allow it to shine brightly on the international scene. Like many others in the region, the brand offers couture, made-to-measure services, but unlike any of its Qatar-based counterparts, Lama is particularly focused on creating a viable ready-towear line. Not only does she believe that having a ready-to-wear base is more sustainable and essential in creating a true brand identity with an interested client base, she also hopes that it will create a grander scope for the company, both creatively and economically. A ready-to-wear line also succeeds in shifting ideas about what designers in the Middle East can truly achieve. “Made-to-measure is what people are used to here, but I hope more people from the region will feel confident enough to get out into the international environment and do something with high quality. It’s been done in Dubai and Kuwait, and there is definitely potential for up and coming talent here in Qatar.”

Lama and Toujouri are, without doubt, at the forefront of tapping into a homegrown potential of local artistic fashion design. The growth that her company and her name have seen at home with a boutique on The Pearl, and abroad as a presence at the premiere fashion show in the world, is not ignorable. We are firm believers in the old Dylan adage, “the times they are a’changin,” particularly within the modern Arab fashion world. We are certain that when the times do change, it will be to slip into something from Toujouri.

sur la terre going global

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Exclusive interview with Lama Al-Moatassem What separates Toujouri as its own unique luxury brand? Where do the fundamentals of your identity lie and from where do you draw your inspirations?

The main feature of our identity is a strong emphasis on the prints, colour and textiles. I actually re-dye the colours for our brand and design the prints myself - it’s a very important part of the process to be specific to the brand. Even though our fashions are embellished, we haven’t gone for head-to-toe bling. The luxury in the garment comes from the quality of fabric, the quality of finishing and the materials we use. We tend to finish everything more than a normal ready-to-wear finishing, hence our prices might be higher, but you get a completely different product.

From which side do you draw most of your inspiration – is it your Middle Eastern heritage or your Western influences?

I think it’s a combination of both. I do have a bit of that traditional mindset, but at the same time, I look to renew it rather than just keep repeating what’s been done. It’s really important for me to represent the Arabic spirit, whether it’s in the colours or other details. At the same time, I feel like many of the Arab designers are either becoming very much the same or they’re developing a low quality product. That’s why, generally, I like to mix both worlds.

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“I don’t do things without a background or a purpose, I don’t look at things just on the surface. Of course I am very into vintage fashion; especially late 60’s, early 70’s stuff because I like the energy and fantasy of these periods. ”

What is one of the most difficult things about launching a brand, especially here in Qatar? Who would you say is the typical Toujouri clientele?

I think that what most people need to recognise and understand is the creative process. My background is fine arts, so I paint and I sculpt, which is really part of my character and I think it shows in the way I design my collections. There are elements of painting and graphics as well as fashion design. Because of that, our styles are for a very particular client.

Some people don’t understand the subtlety of fusion concepts or the artistic process that goes into them; they think, “For that price, I should be getting a dress embroidered from head to toe.” But that’s not what I do. That’s not how I work. Our clients, no matter where they are from, are well-travelled, cultured and matured in fashion.

In what other ways did fashion and culture meet in your first collection, and how do you keep from remaining static to one particular type of presentation as many regional luxury brands sometimes do?

Well, for example, another big part of our culture is the kaftan. Now, some people might say a kaftan is for the beach over a swimsuit, or other people might go to a party in it. We offer both of the choices, but we want to give off the spirit of everyday elegance. I started by looking at a person’s shape and manipulated the kaftan in ways that allow you to have a more structured garment. It’s almost like deconstructing the main shape of the rectangular garment and finding different ways it can be worn and presented. All of the clothes have a lot of fabric and they move very freely, which is important as an element to the design and the culture. There are different groups in the collection that are defined by different fabrics and embroideries. Each group of styles has three different variations, so that we create a range of different offerings for our different buyers; someone from the Middle East will tend to go for the conservative look, while someone from the West may not. We also have evening offerings and more casual tops that are very versatile when mixing with jeans or leggings. We call the different looks “stories,” because each one gives a different feeling but at the same time works with the rest of the collection.

Where do you get your materials from and how much of your styles are influenced by international craftsmanship?

I go to the textile tradeshows every year in Paris, but I also print myself on Italian chiffon or kaftan, and other textiles I get dyed from India. For

one group of the collection, I worked initially with Moroccan artisans to develop the technique because the design is traditionally Moroccan, but at the same time, they’re only used to working it on very heavy costume textiles, and not sheer fabric. I wanted to experiment with the technique on something that was more fun, more wearable and appealing. The problem there is that there is no idea or concept of finishing, so we trained people in India to get everything together and produce a higher quality than what we have in Morocco.

Are you doing any shows with your new collection at the moment?

Not right now, no. Since this was the first collection, it was designed with selling in mind. We only have a few things that are for show, which are heavy, expensive and a bit more embellished. We’re starting off with certain pieces that would work well as concepts rather than a commercial standpoint.

What are the biggest highlights of your job and what are the biggest challenges?

Professionally, my biggest challenge is resources. There isn’t a structure or organisation for creative talent, or a pool you can dive into to get whatever you need. Still, I’ve worked to build a high-quality product and it has been appreciated. Another challenge is to get people in here to see that this is an amazing product and that we believe in what we’re doing, and that we’re taking it seriously.

I really enjoy the process of designing a collection and developing it before finally sending off the whole message. I also like working with clients because you understand and cater towards them, learning their personalities as you do. I love the process of research and creation. There is so much that goes into the process – which is part of the challenge, but it’s also part of the fun. Once you see people wearing your clothing, that’s just amazing!

What are your biggest influences?

Everything. It could be the simplest thing, but I believe anything can trigger your inspiration. I don’t do things without a background or a purpose, I don’t look at things just on the surface. Of course I am very into vintage fashion; especially late 60’s, early 70’s stuff because I like the energy and fantasy of these periods.

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sur la terre fashion

EQUUS

EQUUS

Him White cotton shirt MELINDA GLOSS Tuxedo jacket CELIO CLUB Satin bowtie HUGO BOSS Trousers HUGO -HUGO BOSS Cummerbund Z. Zegna Silk scarf BURBERRY Slush boots AIGLE “Saumur” lamb nubuck gloves GUIBERT

Production: Juliette Blondel @ Le Dressing @ www.julietteblondel.fr Stylist assistant: Ayako Lijima Photographs by: Ian Abela @ Visionairs in Art www.ianabela.com Models: Olga Cerpita & Thomas Aouste @ Studio KLRP Paris Hair: Delphine Delain @ Sybille Kleber Make-up: Delphine Delain @ Sybille Kleber Hair: David Martinez @ Sybille Kleber

Special thanks to: Centre Equestre La Lisiere - Poigny-la-Forêt. France

sur la terre fashion

The horse “Bredies” bridle reins Leather and neoprene fetlocks H front bridle in chevron canvas Pair of leather gaiters Felt saddle pad “Brasilia” buffalo close contact jumping saddle All HERMES

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Her Silk dress BOTTEGA VENETA Leather boots AIGLE Leather and wool gloves AGNELLE “Collier de chasse” leather belt GUIBERT

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Wool Prince of Wales jacket RALPH LAUREN Silk and cotton blouse BURBERRY Wool vest RALPH LAUREN Jodhpurs in leather and suede KENZO défilé Wool cap RALPH LAUREN Gold “Eon” watch with leather strap VERSACE Leather and metal bracelet HERMES Silk scarf RALPH LAUREN Leather belt NEW-MAN Silver horseshoe brooch GUIBERT

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Velour and leather jodhpurs RALPH LAUREN Turtleneck sweater in cashmere and wool BOTTEGA VENETA Wool cardigan PAUL SMITH Wool cardigan with leather yoke POLO RALPH LAUREN Large pure wool vest KENZO défilé Felt hat Z. ZEGNA Leather boots ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA “Brasilia” buffalo close contact jumping saddle HERMES

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Wool coat with silk and leather MARITHE ET FRANCOIS GIRBAUD Egyptian cotton blouse HUGO -HUGO BOSS Jodhpurs in stretch cotton Ralph Lauren Leather tie CELIO CLUB “Mors” necklace in solid silver GUIBERT “Constance Mini” lizard bag HERMES Tailored dressage hat GUIBERT

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Cotton trench with leather piping MELINDA GLOSS Flannel trousers PAUL SMITH “Etriviere” leather belt GUIBERT Wool gabardine vest PAUL SMITH Cotton shirt FALKE “Tudor IV” crocodile boots JOHN LOBB Dip Dyed “Brides de Gala” silk scarf HERMES Leather gloves AGNELLE 100% silk riding helmet by Charles Owen for GUIBERT

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Cotton blouse PAUL SMITH Black Label Long acetate silk skirt MAX MARA Velour jacket with silk and satin TAE ASHIDA Leather boots AIGLE Satin cummerbund CERRUTI

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Cotton jodhpurs HERMES Cotton shirt CHARVET Chevron wool vest RALPH LAUREN Bowtie RALPH LAUREN Slush boots AIGLE Leather belt JOHN LOBB Leather gloves AIGLE 100% silk riding helmet by Charles Owen for GUIBERT Self-winding “Giro” watch with 18K pink gold and leather band BERTOLUCCI

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Velour jacket THIERRY MUGLER Slim, virgin wool pants HUGO-HUGO BOSS Leather gloves AGNELLE Wool hat by Antony Peto for THIERRY MUGLER Cotton shirt HERMES Metal tie pin THIERRY MUGLER Slush boots AIGLE

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Virgin wool cape-coat HUGO-HUGO BOSS Cashmere sweater LACOSTE Jodhpurs in cotton, leather and sheepskin HERMES “Triomphe” goat leather boots HERMES Braided goat leather tie HERMES “Harnais” pocket watch with leather cord HERMES Barenia Leather gloves AGNELLE “Mors” necklace in solid silver GUIBERT

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Wool gabardine Spencer CERRUTI Chiffon blouse MARELLA Cotton pants AIGLE “Etriviere” leather belt GUIBERT 100% silk riding helmet by Charles Owen for GUIBERT

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Cashmere sweater VICEDOMINI Wool gabardine and crepe slip HERMES Wool Prince of Wales coat RALPH LAUREN Silver horseshoe brooch GUIBERT “Tarquinia” necklace in tadelakt calfskin and antique brass Fur hat (rabbit) PAUL SMITH

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Suede jodhpurs ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA Leather belt JOHN LOBB Cotton shirt CERRUTI Metal tie pin THIERRY MUGLER Wool jacket THIERRY MUGLER “Arceau Chrono” steel watch with calfskin band HERMES Barenia Cotton coat with leather straps HERMES Leather boots ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA

sur la terre out of the box

The Art of Well-Being In a sensual journey, Sur la Terre peels back the crusty layer of the daily grind to find a hidden world of holistic calm, the centre of which is kneaded into relaxation by Doha’s own Spa Chakra. >>> The construction around Doha’s West Bay area is enough to rattle anyone’s nerves. The incessant rattling of steel against stone saturates your system in a long, drawn-out baritone thrumming that both clanks and confounds. Any cleansing breath you take is smothered by swarms of singing sand, and any mantra you hum is immediately flooded and drowned by the cacophonous clamour of ceaseless corporate creation.

Interestingly, it was this symphony of discordance that met me as I began my quest to locate a haven of inner piece. I had recently heard whispers that, amongst the din of this rambunctious ruckus, there was a diamond in the rough. I was also told that once I found it, my journey would truly begin.

I looked down at my hastily scrawled directions on the way to the lift and thought I had made a mistake. A spa on the 39th floor? Surely not.

And yet, after my ears popped during the steady climb to the top of the Alfardan Residential Tower and the doors opened, I was suddenly set upon by another sound than the one I had experienced only moments prior. This was not just the sound of silence; it was the tone of tranquility.

I looked over my shoulder to see the elevator doors close behind me, finally understanding what I had been told earlier that day. This was where my journey would truly begin.

As I approached the front desk, I was met by a cheerful member of staff who escorted me to yet another lift. Spa Chakra stretches itself elegantly over two levels. As you rise up through the long bamboo shoots that surround the lift on each side before finally coming to a solid gold atrium, it is impossible not to notice the thematic concept of the spa; mixing a timeless, organic comfort with a poised and polished modernity. Noting my gaping expression, my guide smiled knowingly and continued leading me through the gilded gangway to a plain glass door. I opened it and came face to face with Victory.

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Victory Assaf, the spa manager, is passionate about many things.

Paramount amongst these are Judo, a sport in which she has been a champion on the international level, and of course, Spa Chakra. “The most important thing for us is to promote well-being,” she said pointedly.

To prove her point, she immediately whisked me away on a tour that every lucky guest of the spa takes. Once again, the idea of a journey was conjured in my mind as I was shown how the spa welcomes its clientele to its 2,323 square metre layout, with a regal, almost throne-like chair in which he or she is treated to a complimentary foot bath, juice and a pre-therapy questionnaire to help the professionals customise your treatments even more. As any good piece of royal furniture should, these seats lord over a picturesque scene; in this case, that means a pristine swimming pool, which similarly looks over the rising sprawl of West Bay. It is truly something to behold.

From there, Victory led me to another relaxing realm that sets this spa apart from the competition. Each treatment room is actually a suite, wherein every client is given a bathroom, a personal closet and an amazing shower that pierces the mellow dark of its environs with a stream of luminescent water. Agape with astonishment, Victory literally had to take me by the arm and lead me to the next port of call: a steam room with oscillating hues to imbue in its inhabitants a robust colour therapy. I was beginning to feel a bit dizzy.

Victory then took me down yet another fantastically rich corridor, this one apparently inspired by the Guerlain Institute in Paris’s Les Champs Élysée, She informed me that all of the Guerlain products being showcased were specially brought to Qatar to be used exclusively by Spa Chakra’s trained professionals, perfectly enhancing the peerless quality of their services. Amongst these treatments are revitalising facials, manicures, pedicures, detoxifying treatments, aroma and hydrotherapy, and a holy host of massages, from the circulation-awakening Imperiale to the tension-tenderising Shiatsu. The signature treatment to receive at Spa Chakra is the Exceptional Orchidee Imperiale, which uses specifically targeted masks on the face, neck and decollete to nourish, redefine and smooth your skin into silken softness. An exciting two-hour treatment, begun in December, now offers clients a whole-body exfoliation that uses a special mask and a lymphatic massage to moisturise and remold the temple that you call your body. Does it ever end? Nope!

“This is my favourite room,” said Victory with a coy smile as she opened the wooden door to the Pearl Couple Suite. Within this massive space, single clients or couples can customise their extravagant experience to the most minute detail, combining the very best Spa Chakra treatments with personalised amenities like lunch or tea. The gem within this crown, however, is the Vichy Shower room, which is something that must be seen to be believed. As dark as night and as comforting as sleep, the

Vichy surrounds its guest in starry gold and shadowy marble, offering an intense multi-faucet shower, a bevy of treatments and a memory that will not be soon forgotten. As if that wasn’t enough, Spa Chakra can also arrange a limo pickup to deliver you to this divine den of delights.

Coupled with all of these relaxation stations is Spa Chakra’s on-site health club, which uses a peaceful atmosphere, state-of-the-art equipment and specialised personal training to help tone and strengthen your body. Whether you wish to be a regular member and join the “Classic” membership, or simply walk in and utilise the more customisable “A-la-Carte” membership, Victory is certain that you will not walk away disappointed. Based on what we saw, we would have to strongly agree.

After my journey was complete and my head stopped swimming with all of the options, services and amenities that Spa Chakra had to offer, I understood why Spa Chakra was voted “The Best Spa in the Middle East” at the SpaFinder Readers’ Choice Awards in 2009. I said my goodbyes to Victory and once again hurtled myself unwillingly into the waiting working world. My only hope now is that our separation will be short.

Interested in taking your own journey? Head over to their website www.spachakra.com to see what else is in store for your senses, or just do yourself a favour and book now with their Central Reservations at +974 4999250.

sur la terre out of the box

Art-chitecture

>>> Consider, if you will, the birth of a masterpiece. A blank canvas stands still, plagued as it is by its own pale sterility yet yearning to be born into greatness. It waits breathlessly on its easel, silently begging to be brushed into life by a steady hand. Slowly, inspiration sets into motion, and the shade of a form begins to emerge at the centre of the vacant abyss, as resounding strokes add definition to its face. A space, once empty, blooms incrementally into an image around which a world of colour, form and even motion develops. After a time, the excited gesticulations of creation relax into a languid lull until, as silently as it appeared, the brush retreats back to the dabs of colour on its neighbouring palette. Momentarily, the artist beholds the art that he has created. The painting is not yet complete, but the central piece is there, and the possibilities therein are endless.

This very process has just recently happened before the eyes of an expectantly waiting audience of Doha denizens.The budding masterpiece that is even now being brought to life is The Pearl, the artistic hand is that of Alfardan Properties and the central creation around which the entire work pivots is the newly opened residential tower, appropriately named One Porto Arabia.

As lavish and decadent as the inspired brushstroke of a trained virtuoso, the One Porto Arabia building is truly the first splash of colour on what will prove to be Qatarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own pièce de residential rĂŠsistance. By incorporating a myriad of cultural styles from around the world, the sumptuous structure is built on the foundations of a newly realised, yet no less rich heritage of modern Arabia. Standing like a monolithic testament to the power and artistic poise of the new, culture-conscious Gulf, One Porto Arabia is a bastion of architectural exquisiteness. In its

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difference is its strength, as this is a building unlike any other you might see twinkling in homogenous banality around town. It is not simply another indistinguishable element in an otherwise international skyline.

This is the new elegance of a new Arabia, and it is the first of its kind.

Hence, the name.

The interior draws on aspects both international and region-specific without succumbing too much to either. The open, clear and spacious nature of its 198 impeccably furnished apartments do not drip with ornate luxury, but rather simmer in something better: an enduring elegance that resonates across the simple, unobtrusive lines of its classically minimalist vibe. As with its exterior facade, the living spaces are awash in a spectrum of colour that leads them from chocolatey richness into a welcoming cream-coloured refinement. The quality of the finishing in One Porto Arabia is quite simply beyond compare, meaning that, just like the meticulousness of a masterpiece, even the smallest touches are priceless.

Turning your eyes outward allows you to drink in the astonishing art that Mother Nature has so nicely seen fit to paint for us here in the Gulf. With sweeping, stunning, omnidirectional views of the surrounding area and a special focus on the aqueous beauty of the Arabian gulf, there is no other scene in Qatar that is quite so pleasingly panoramic. Perhaps one of its most important aspects is that One Porto Arabia is not ostentatious for the sake of being showy. Instead, it represents a more refined state of luxury espoused by both local Qataris and discerning foreigners. We truly believe that this is the future of luxury in this region, and we like where things are going.

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Of course, even the most priceless piece of art is not simply about beauty; it is also about timelessness and its ability to stand the test of trends and time. Just like the celebrated works hanging in galleries, One Porto Arabia’s artistic brilliance is still given structure in a solid frame of security. With 24 hour maintenance, an impressively comprehensive concierge service and unparalleled security, the safety of all its tenants is steadfastly ensured.

Alfardan Properties has also made certain that while the tenants at One Porto Arabia are living a life of visual artistry, they will also have all the amenities needed for a filled with comfort. The tower boasts an in-house café, ultra-modern gymnasiums, relaxing saunas and steam rooms, as well as a temperature-controlled swimming pool and Jacuzzi.

On top of everything, One Porto Arabia’s prime location at The Pearl is like a painting bathing under the spotlight at the centre of an international art museum. The haute harbour lifestyle and trendy atmosphere that surrounds and permeates every curve of the marina is already attracting the attention of Qatar’s upper crust, both in the cult of personality and business. Without doubt, The Pearl will be THE crowning achievement for a luxurious lifestyle in Doha for many years to come, and One Porto Arabia will be its centre jewel. It’s time for art and life to stop imitating each other. It’s time for One Porto Arabia.

To learn how you can paint your life into indulgent existence, go to www.alfardanproperties.com or call +974 440 8308.

sur la terre out of the box

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je ne sais qWoi >>> Sur la Terre and W Hotels have a very unique relationship, not unlike that of a brightly-apparelled, Olympic figure skating couple. We know what you’re thinking, but just wait for it; this comparison is going to make sense... probably. Graceful and fleet of foot, both big names often work together to celebrate in tandem a luxurious life of almost impossible opulence and inspired innovation. Most of the time, we forgo the matching skin-tight, sequined spandex of the figure skating set, though neither of us is a slouch in the flamboyant fashion department.

It’s thanks to this shared sense of being excellent that, when the W Hotel Doha invited SLT to attend the international hotelier’s huge and multifaceted unveiling event at Paris Fashion Week, we immediately laced up and, in a fit of bravado, performed a triple salchow jump. Eat your heart out Dorothy Hamill! Excited over-exaggeration aside, we knew that this trip was going to be yet another gold-medal performance from W, and we wanted in on the act.

We touched down in Paris in the later evening hours in a post-journey, bleary-eyed haze, smelling, as one might expect, like reheated chicken, airline hand lotion and our own distinguished musk. Even so, we quickly rallied thanks to the red hot excitement (and quickly-pounded energy drinks) that coursed through our veins. A weary smile contorted into a grin as we met our private escort and were whisked away across the

melted mirror streets of the rain-licked Parisian evening. This, we felt, was going to be good. Upon arrival to the W’s VIP Lounge, strategically placed at the Eclipse bar in the ultra-chic Bastille area, we immediately felt the celebrity vibe that would thread itself like the taut exclusivity of a velvet rope throughout the entire weekend. Circling spotlights danced across the faces of the attending throng of beautiful people, as each one made his or her elated entrance into the lounge.

The interior of the intimate lounge bathed in torrents of the classic W purple light that has become a hallmark of its royalty status. It looked like what we would imagine Prince’s living room to look like; that is to say, amazing. The decor was a full on assault on all of our senses, which is also very like Prince. While a DJ spun records and the other guests explored the intriguing environs, we began pushing past the heaving masses to see what else was in store. Maneuvering inside was more like sidling between ecstatic partygoers in a trendy nightclub than it was rubbing elbows in a press-related reconnaissance mission. That stands to reason, given the W’s penchant for aggrandising with aplomb, a trait that will come in handy when the hotel opens the doors of its Paris-Opera location in 2010, which is just one of the many things on tap for the W brand. In fact, once you got around the bright spotlights and posh socialites of the 2009 Fashion Week fiesta, it was easy to see that there was substance to all this style.

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sur la terre out of the box

The first new W developments to grab our attention was the limited edition designer collections created to grace the racks of the W’s designer gift shop, The Store. Designed by such luminary “a-fashion-ados” such as Rachel Leigh, Lauren Merkin, and Foley & Corrina, the entire Global Glam collection is inspired by five of the W’s most prized locations, each one positively dripping with its own micro-culture of cool. Whether it’s the light, airy pastel colours drawn from the fiery Santiago fashions, the refined silvery grey and black minimalist musings from New York and South beach, the serene dream in green from Istanbul or the radioactive iridescence that pulsates from the Hong Kong line, each and every article and accessory positively throbs with the ethereal ethos of W, drawing forth an aspirated “wow” from all present appreciators of the aesthetic.

Similarly breathtaking were the examples of the specially designed Extreme Wow Suites designed by Jouin Manku, the avante-garde-fuelled concepts of which are currently touring the world and changing minds about the way everyone thinks about interior design.

While perusing the styles, our captivated attentions were suddenly arrested elsewhere as an announcement was made welcoming Michaelangelo L’Acqua, the W’s first ever Global Music Director. With the appointment of L’Acqua, the W once again proves why it is so justifiably called a “category buster.” The appropriately named Michaelangelo, a true artist in the music of fashion, was not only chosen by Tom Ford to be the Music Director of Gucci and Yves Saint Lauren, but has also personally overseen the musical programmes for over 150 fashion shows, including those for Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors and John Varvatos, and has been handpicked for other massive events from leaders in luxury like Karl Lagerfeld. His fit as Global Music Director at the W is one that has already proven to be both natural and fruitful, with an upcoming W Hotels signature CD on the way and a whole new library of tunes to grace every guest’s footfall.

After personally performing paralysing feats of mixology during the lounge event, Michaelangelo then introduced yet another surprise to an evening already full of them.“These guys have been, for the past five years, one of my favourite bands,” he said with not just a hint of excitement in his voice, “and I’m so glad they could be here with us tonight.” As the purple haze that stretched languidly throughout the room was lifted, there stood in its place probably Sur la Terre’s most beloved French

musical artists, Nouvelle Vague! If you haven’t heard the magnificently jazzy sounds of Nouvelle Vague, we highly suggest you give a listen to their sultry covers of songs from The Clash, The Dead Kennedy’s and Blondie. Their anarchistic antics and choice musical selections, reigned in tightly by well-practiced melodious poise, bewitchingly compliments the W’s unique mien and highlighted just how truly different the hotel is from its contemporaries.

The remainder of the weekend was filled with taking in everything that Paris Fashion Week had to offer, including an exclusive party with the aforementioned Prince at Club VIP Room, as well as learning about all of the great locations in which the W brand is cropping up, such as Bali, Koh Samui, Shanghai and Yokohama in 2010, Amman in late 2010/early 2011 and Marrakech in 2012. With so many services, developments and new locations in the W pipeline, it was hard not to walk away with a dizzyingly full head of anticipation, elation and, of course, Wonder.

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sur la terre accessories

CMYK

Photographer: Luc Frey www.lucfrey.com Fashion editor: Nicolas Chicanot Make-up: Jacques Uzzardi @ SLR using M.A.C. Cosmetics Hair: Jacques Uzzardi @ SLR using Bumble & Bumble Manicure: Sandrine Bo using OPI products Model: Florence Eugene @ Ford Models Paris Special thanks: Studio Daguerre, Paris Leather perfecto jacket JEAN CLAUDE JITROIS Silk draped dress and leather belt PHILOSOPHY DI ALBERTA FERRETTI Patent leather strappy sandals BOTTEGA VENETA “Cocoon bag” and quilted bag “Paris Venice” collection CHANEL “Camelia Tweed” necklace in white gold, white pearls, black and white diamonds “San Marco” multicolor sapphire brooch worn on the belt All CHANEL JEWELLERY Black gold ring with 223 carat ruby cabochon JEAN BOGGIO

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Pleated jersey dress ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER Yellow leather gloves AGNELLE Leather clutch EMANUEL UNGARO “Celeste” necklace in white gold, fancy yellow and white diamonds with matching earrings “Pythie” ring in black gold with an oval aquamarine, paved with rubies and emerald eyes “Reflet” watch in white gold and white diamonds All BOUCHERON

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Wool perfecto EMANUEL UNGARO Chiffon dress and chain plastron, “Paris Venice” collection CHANEL White gold cuff paved with white diamonds, white gold ring with a sapphire and paved with diamonds All HARRY WINSTON “Pan di Zucchero” bracelet in pink gold, imperial jade and rock crystal “Pan di Zucchero” bracelet in pink gold, sugilite and rock crystal “Pan di Zucchero” bracelet in pink gold, turquoise and rock crystal “Pan di Zucchero” ring in pink gold, imperial jade and rock crystal “Pan di Zucchero” ring in pink gold, sugilite and rock crystal “Onda” ring in pink gold, turquoise, nacre and rock crystal All VHERNIER

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Jersey dress ESCADA Leather gloves AGNELLE Earrings in white gold and diamonds, necklace in yellow gold, diamonds, emeralds, quartz and pearls All ERIK SCHAIX Snake skin belt and rock crystal buckle THOMAS DEAMBROSIS

sur la terre in vogue

In Vogue at to look Where to shop and wh ive trends in for – the latest exclus ilable the fashion world, ava y all to you loc

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One Chanel of a Collection In its usual gutsy, one in a million, classic yet fashion-forward style, Chanel delivers yet another stellar line; its new winter eyewear collection. Classic lines, timeless shapes and primary, basic colours with an androgynous twist in the form of distressed denim arms create a spectacular assortment of accessories for us to indulge in and beat the winter blues.

The sunglasses from the range feature the Nicole Richie trademark oversized rounded-square format in tones that appeal to the senses and to the eyes. Graduating cherry-reds easing into rock ‘n’ roll chic denim arms are topped off with the fait de complete – the discreet yet always comforting metal studded double C logo that on its own spells out the legendary history of a fashion house built to weather the worst economic storms.

Other designs feature sharper shapes rather than the soft slopes of the aforementioned masterpiece and boast earthier, easy to wear hues like chocolate brown, luscious plum and the instantly glamorous tortoiseshell.

The aqua tinted, St. Tropez-inspired look is definitely our withstanding favourite. It would definitely be a shame not to treat yourselves to an all-seasons pair from the optical eyewear numbers too, and what a treat they are. Once again, the pure genius of the ageless Chanel concept has taken a detour off the lavish Chanel Atelier runway and straight into the creative imaginings of the Classic Line. Sophisticated acetate frames in icy whites and look-at-me reds have been warped into a meshed template making for an intriguing and solid companion. As always, we are spoilt for choice with a duo of glossy and more roughly textured finishings. We’re definitely going for glam with a dash of grunge and denim clad optics.

Fending for Fendi If the world was at war (a war of the fashion houses, that is), Fendi’s 2009 ready-to-wear winter line is exactly what we would wear for battle. In the true style of a Mongolian warrior princess who defies the surge of midfinancial crisis fear against luxury, Fendi proves you can be tough and strong, yet whimsically elegant all at once. Featuring the strong presence of earthy colours and what looks like a burned-out selection of luxurious fabrics like cashmere and chiffon, the collection boasts something for all tastes. From structured military jackets in metallic sheen, bolero-like wraps and Kylie Minogue-esque draping on evening dresses and shorter tunic tops, to hard leather corsets enveloping soft velvet cocktail dress inspirations, this really has to be one of our favourite collaborations between legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld and the ultra glamorous Silvia Venturini Fendi. At first glance, there did seem to be an overpowering presence of the inexcusable 80s shoulder pad, but after a closer look, this is softened by the endless feminine accents that ooze the trademark Lagerfeld opulence. Surprisingly, and unlike many of the other collections this season, the ready-to-wear label is very much in its place considering the array of soft leather cigarette pants, flirty lace-trimmed party dresses and biker jackets on offer. All this comes with a burst of daring colour in the form of lime green handbags, crimson frocks and the oh-so-sexy gladiator-enthused leg guards, extending as they do from platform Mary Jane’s or slouchy ankle boots. The final spark of genius comes from the gold-clasped ode to the fabulous Elizabeth Taylor: the Fendi headband. If there’s anything we’re coveting this season, it’s everything Fendi.

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sur la terre in vogue

Making Your Marc Look out Pucci! There is a new contender for the loudest, most futuristic print-addict in fashion.

Say hello to Marc Jacobs’ fall/winter collection.

Firstly, someone needs to tell our darling Marc that just because the line channels the retro late 70s to early 80s “street style,” does not mean he has us fooled into thinking he has succumbed to the economic crunch. Au contraire fellow Jacobs junkies; winter has officially been crowned the season to be lavish, and there is nowhere to do so quite like a Marc Jacobs runway. An extravagant jewel-toned palette including shiny purples, greens, reds, and electric teals feature heavily in the forms of bubble skirts, suit jackets ripped right out of Prince’s wardrobe and cocktail dresses with flirty, ruche-heavy sleeves. The models, styled in an over-gelled, A-ha fringed hair style and intense eye makeup that gives off a Bombay tiger effect created a feel reminiscent of the female dominatrix that was all the rage in the 80s. Surprisingly, none of these silk-donned glamazons stirred our inner fashion “lust-have” emotions quite like the Tim Burton-meetsWizard of Oz ensemble seen above. This is one of the more timid looks from Marc Jacobs by comparison, but with its own ‘j’ne sais quoi’ is the striped ballerina skirt and crimson sequindraped pullover. Click your heels three times, Dorothy, because we are definitely not in Kansas anymore.

Kenzo does the Kremlin With an army of blushing, milkmaid-like strawberry blondes walking down the runway, half the designer’s work is almost done anyway, as was the case for Antonio Marras and the 2009/10 Autumn-Winter Kenzo collection. With a brilliant seasonal look boasts bare, sleepy eyes and cheeks that look stung by the cruel Moscow winter chill. Coupled with wispy, romantic updos nestled under fur and sheepskin variations of the traditional Russian Ushanka, the scene was perfectly set. Think of this collection as a 21st century Anna Karenina, dressed for comfort while roving the majestic charm of Moscow and the vast expanse of the golden Russian countryside, frosted in glistening snow. If Anna had been as fashion savvy as they are at Kenzo, we are certain her story would have ended up somewhere other than the tracks of an oncoming train. A range of military-inspired pieces are incorporated into a largely floral theme, giving what could have been a knockoff from any summer collection a major

edge. Dainty prints in a soft palette of pinks and beiges with delicate undercurrents of ultrafeminine fuchsia ingeniously drape over loosefitting tunics and knits. Particularly when paired with leggings or even denim, this collection becomes something for even the finickiest shopper. Slashes of wine-toned burgundy, creamy mustard and deep blue hues ensure the liveliness of a ‘little Russian house on the prairie’ feel. There are more than enough accessories to keep all of you House of Harlow fans satisfied. Instead of the rockin’ 60’s, Marras has drawn upon the romantic allure of Doctor Xhivago, with a backdrop embedded in the Russian Revolution. Cow print totes, studs, tassels and a glamorised version of the waist pouch all make standout appearances.

The best news is, we can easily delayer and mix ’n’ match to adapt the styles to our more moderate winter, leaving us with no excuses but to rush out to the nearest Kenzo store. As the Russians say, udachi shoppers!

sur la terre in vogue

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Van Cleef and Arpels is Forever Immortalising the ethereal beauty of the majestic and mysterious Bird of Paradise, or “Oiseaux de Paradis,” Van Cleef and Arpels has supplied the lovers of high jewellery with yet another collection to cherish forevermore.

Inspired by this creature of legendary mythical tales, the diamonds, sapphires and emeralds offer a dazzling multi-coloured offering sparkle with a range that will have you standing out from the crowd. Much like the flamboyant Bird of Paradise, you too will finally be able to showcase your breathtaking plumage. Slender curves and curls twist and turn from asymmetrical lines into movements so refined they must be from another world. White gold necklaces, bracelets, rings and a return to the classic pin create interlaced detail all in the form of the heavenly bird perching ever so gently on the neck, wrist

and ears for a sensuous feeling of pure magic.

Like a waterfall, rippling in the sunshine and graduating in tone, are the arabesque styled earrings and matching set with droplets of precious stone being extended from one beak to the other in a meeting of the hearts. The inbetween-the-finger ring is a particularly unique offering, extending across three fingers for a more luminous effect. Our absolute favourite piece has to be the antique-inspired emerald white gold ring, with a respectably sized stone nestled amidst two innocent birds that seem to be laying the gem ever so gently upon your finger. The bronzed colouring of the birds, inset with diamonds and pink sapphires is what gives this particular ring a different flavour, and one we very much want for keeps. A standing ovation is in order.

On a Mission with M Missoni Cindy Crawford remains one of the world’s most stunning women; even more-so now than at her peak as the face of many a fashion house and THE runway girl. It speaks volumes that, despite there being no formal agreement between the fabulous M Missoni line and the criminally beautiful Ms. Crawford, she chooses to don nothing but M Missoni artwork for any public event; and artwork it is. The Italian label sticks to its romantic roots with this collection, true to its origins in uberfeminine florals, plush bombe silk and woolen knits. Splashing into the Middle East in style, the Winter smorgasbord is reminiscent of an oasis in the midst of a cruel desert landscape. Emerald greens quench our thirst for velvety colour while floral patterns in rich burgundy, matte teal and mossy greens mingle with bold slashes of black to create an exotic paradise of silken wear for the fashion adventurous. The haute couture

twist on a high street trend is also splayed in an alluring yet subtle manner with cropped harem pants making an peek-a-boo appearance of sheer luxurious immediacy. Geometric, techno dot-structured elements are softened and enveloped in layers of flowing, draping material in a tasteful and always aesthetically pleasing manner. Taking from a masculine wardrobe and transforming it into the essence of M Missoni, this collection is brimming with pure grace and beauty. The tradition of zig-zag prints and a dash of eccentricity are not forgotten as they pop up on various items, including the no frills, shorter-is-better shirt dress in canary yellow and pencil grey, and adorable pin adornments. This M Missoni edition has more to boast than just the voluntary endorsement of a former super, supermodel. Of course, if it’s good enough for Cindy, it’s good enough for us.

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Dior in Queens?!

All you die hard fashionistas may want to avert your eyes for the following comments; what was John Galliano thinking? Instead of conjuring images of the power-hungry, Alfred Hitchcockesque alpha female that supposedly inspired this pre-fall line, an irritating memory from my not so distant past was aroused – remember Fran Drescher as The Nanny? We are not being cruel but seriously, the last time leopard print trimmings on a lilac power suit was ever a good idea was… well, never! The sharp styling of the models also failed to do for us what we’re sure Dior intended it to. Instead of the Jean Harlow or Grace Kelly ‘blonde-effect’, evoking imagery of a superior almost ethereal being, we found ourselves squirming in distaste over the super-plucked, tightly drawn, almost facelifted Edith Piaf result. In all fairness though, Dior has never been known for its conventional nor traditional sense of style. In effect, it would have to take someone entirely oblivious to the world of Haute Couture to deny the genius of some of the other pieces incorporated in the same collection. The racy take on the ‘first lady of France’ look circa 1960s Jackie O eyewear boasts the timeless edgy elegance for which we have come to love Galliano. A simple threequarter sleeve leopard pullover, complemented by a deceivingly conservative black leather pencil skirt and fierce booties makes this one of the hottest looks of the season. The animalistic theme features through much of the collection but true homage is paid only to the original Dior muse, Mitzah Bricard, as luxury incarnate is incorporated in the form of bow endowed belts, strings of pearls, cinched waists, big hair and even bigger turban-like headwear, accentuating what would otherwise feel like a classic canvas.

All in all, we think Mitzah would be proud and we still love Galliano, in all his wacky glory.

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SALAM DOES DIESEL We know for a fact that all you denim lovers are going to whoop with joy at the news we’ve got for you! Not only can you go browse the racks of pure Italian brilliance at the Diesel stores in Salam Plaza, but now there is also an all new Mall outlet for your shopping pleasure! These shops not only offer the main Diesel line, but the more recently launched Diesel Black Gold, Diesel Kid, the Diesel Denim Gallery and an enviable collection of footwear, totes, Milaninspired eyewear and jewellery that can make you sparkle even in the glummest winter days; but we aren’t here to talk about children’s

clothing or even jeans. We’re here to have a chat about the weather. You heard that right.

Rain, wind or shine, these are the elements that inspired the latest Diesel Fall-Winter collection for men and women. Allowing their creative juices to take over in the form of forecast indulgence, each outfit resembles an emotion or prominent image evoked by a particular season. Smokey swirls of black and grey adorn the simplest of silk shift dresses, complemented by an angry looking denim coat, embellished with wild, dyed woolen additions and thigh high sheer stockings; add lacy brogues for a

Rocco Barocco, Meet the Cullens Ever since Interview with a Vampire hit movie screens around the world well over ten years ago, we have been unable to get its innate gothic glamour, indulgent eye make-up (painted on seemingly porcelain skin) or frilly Victorian fashions out of our fashion-fuelled minds. It turns out we don’t have to pine in vain, since Rocco Barocco makes a dangerously suggestive stand right in the middle of this season’s prevalent use of the dainty floral print.

Barocco’s winter collection has us all lusting for the darker side with his use of grittier, gutsier palettes and endless accents on the riskiest pieces of clothing we have seen this season.

Sheer evening gowns revealing delicate lace underlining, elbow-length velvet gloves, 1920s flapper-style feathered headwear and contouring satin corsets are all tied together with simple metallic-toned details for an avante-garde stance. Paired with two-toned suede brogues, a sparingly used love of crimson and electric blue, corporate inspired A-line skirts, faux leopard print coats and a meshed criss-cross take on the ever-popular leggings, the focus in this underworld extravaganza is definitely on the smaller features. The most captivating element, however, has to be the

addition of untraditional accessories to the more Parisian chic combinations, with the use of not only strings of black pearls and bow adornments on the decolletage areas of the blouses, but heavy R’n’B influenced chains. This motif also finds its way onto slogan cotton tees worn under cropped boleros in canary and grape for the young at heart. The musthave item from Rocco Barocco this season is definitely the minimised bowling bag enhanced with bright patchwork leather. Now we know what Bella sees in Edward; much more than a bloodthirsty lifelong friend, he’s a fashion mogul waiting to happen!

spin on St Trinnian’s chic feel. A storm might be brewing. For the sweeter tempered ladies, a whimsical take on sunny weather combines the palest pinks and the softest cottons in a Parisian on-the-go style, matched to a tee by the model’s styling and glorious bed-head curls. There’s even something for the guys, with clean-cut military inspired cut-offs, eastLondon herringbone coats, slogan tees and classic leather bombers. Everything we have mentioned makes a statement, especially when topped off with headwear to suit all tastes.

Does Diesel ever get it wrong?

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EMPE-ROAWR! A collaboration between three young, dashing brothers, proudly Iranian by heritage yet distinctly Brit in style and demeanour, The Emperor 1688 range is without a shadow of a doubt one of the hottest men’s clothing lines we have seen in a while. Clean, crisp traditional lines are taken straight out of your typical James Bond flick, but hit with a dash of Persian sugar and spice for some of the most exciting pieces any man could hope to sport on the red carpet. Subtly emblazoned shirts, suit jackets and accessories make up a look meant for the modern man who is in touch with his inner fashion-lover. Suit and vest lapels are faked into different shirt stylings to put the formal into a more casual look. The modernity factor makes way for the cultural touches of an empire built on pride and glory with details taken straight out of the fantastical storytelling of Shahrazad and Shehriar. Old Persian script is incorporated into button trails and on the backs of unique pieces that pay homage to Babak, Farhan and Haman Golkar’s country of origin. Pashminas in elaborate florals and intricate arabesque templates also make their way into the collection in a manner that can only be described as royal.

These are wrapped around the torso of an already bedecked Emperor man to add instant glamour to any ensemble. Passages of poetry are also printed on breast pockets for a romantic feel to an otherwise plain shirt, studded with mysterious looking black crystals for a polished finishing. Silks, cottons and cashmere are mixed for a varied offering that extends from day to night, meaning both matte and more lustrous samples are also part of this compilation – and now, its all on offer at Al Salam Stores. There are no more excuses not to look a million dollars.

The Aviator Lacoste Style In the cheeky style of Catch Me If You Can and other Leo Di Caprio flicks celebrating man’s ability to zoom around from one continent to the other in no time, Lacoste has come through with one of its most comfortable and laid back collections to date. The label has always been one for relaxation and convenience versus the usual fuss of couture, and this latest collection does not fail the concept. The brand’s sophisticated take on the jumpsuit is an easy-on-the-eye palette of creamy whites, soft textured greys, baby blues and toned down browns, creating an easy wardrobe for the high society gal on the go. In another charming yet masculine take on the 1960s is a look inspired by the legendary and adorable Diane Keaton, as cut-offs are paired with business shirts in the lightest of checks and layered with soft knits and coats. The classic gentleman’s tie is once again reinvented by

severing its pointy finish into a straight line. If you were wondering where on earth the little crocodile logo went, look no further than the two toned glory of the warm wools completed with the cap-cum-scarf trademarked by Lacoste. The Milano jersey makes an incredible appearance in the show finale with the headto-toe monochrome styling of the unisex suiting, taking an ordinary office day into the power ride of your life. Retro, edging on mod and literally out of this world, Lacoste has taken the simplicity of the everyday boot and channeled its inner Princess Leia to create the cherry on top of the fashion sundae in nudes that would leave even her majesty hankering for a dose of pure, unadulterated opulence. If we were on the run from the law alongside the dashing Mr. Di Caprio, our Lacoste gear might make for easy spotting, but they’re still gonna have to catch us... if they can.

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Praise for Panamera At Al Boraq Launch Pictures: Riham Fahed

The hoi polloi of Doha turned out in force in October for Al Boraq Automobiles’ national unveiling of the new Porsche Panamera. Mr Salman Darwish, Chairman and CEO of Al Boraq, presided over the gala event, which took place at the Qatar Exhibition Centre in Doha’s glittering West Bay. Visitors were treated to a stunning pre-launch show, featuring a high-tech lightshow, contorting acrobats and a pitch perfect opera singer. The entertainment was punctuated by a delicious repast, as the fois gras, succulent roast lamb and dangerously delicious desserts did the rounds. In his speech, Mr Darwish reported that since 2005 the company has achieved record figures, allowing the company to rise to the rank of third in the world in terms of sales. “We assure our customers that we will continue with this progress and sustain the standards we have set for service and professionalism,” he told the audience. “This

Top left to bottom right: Andre Oosthuizen, Anja Wood and Deesch Papke Gary Friend and Salman J. Al Darwish Medhat Greiss, Lina Faurie and Jean Luc Faurie VIP guests

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commitment is represented by the opening of our new, purpose built, 3,500 square metre showroom for new and used cars on the Airport road.â&#x20AC;? Mr Darwish further expressed his hope that a new quick service centre, slated for completion on the same site in the final quarter of 2009, would help propel Al Boraq Automobiles and Qatar into the top ten countries for Porsche service excellence.

He concluded by proudly introducing the star of the show, whose arrival, through a clever use of mirrors and lighting effects, was all the more spectacular. The Porsche companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first four-door Gran Tourismo, the Panamera, made its grand entrance on cue with the talented opera singer finishing a virtuoso performance to rapturous applause. The sleek new Porsche most certainly captured the imagination of everyone in the room, as the clamour to get a closer look at the new car, and our pictures, will attest.

Top left to bottom right: Attendees clamouring for a first look at the new Porsche Panamera Adel Al Darwish, Shareef Hassouna and Abdulla Jassem Al Darwish and guest Mohammed Jassem Al Darwish, Yousuf Al Harami and guest David Smith and Deesch Papke Gilad Moses and Asia Al Shishany Mr Salman Darwish, CEO and Chairman of Al Boraq Automobiles

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Game, Set and Match Pictures: Will Hewitt

It seemed that the world descended on Doha for the last weekend in October, with a number of top-line events taking place all over the city. While Tribeca had flashbulbs popping and film critics and fashionistas gossiping on the red carpet, the glitter of glamourous sporting superstars pulled in the crowds at the Qatar Tennis Federation.

The 2009 Sony Ericsson Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tennis Association Championships rolled into town boasting a stellar line-up of athletes. Doha 2009 hosted the likes of the Serena and Venus Williams, Elena Demetieva, Victoria Azarenka and Svetlana Kuznetsova, all of whom were hoping to finish their season on a high with a Grand Slam win in our fair emirate.

They battled it out over three days of pulsating play, culminating in the ultimate showdown of sibling rivalry as Serena and Venus clashed in the final. Bragging rights, until the next time they meet on the court at least, went to Serena, who defeated her sister in a grueling 1 hour and 25 minute match to take the spoils and pull the curtain on the 2009 event.

All the girls were then able to glam up and let their hair down at the Ritz Carlton Doha, where the hotel hosted a post-tournament party in their honour.

Top left to bottom right: Victoria Azarenka of Belarus Elena Demetieva of Russia Agnieska Radwanska of Poland Venus Battles Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia Group Shot

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Licence To Thrill

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Horizon Automobiles invited the great and good of Doha’s petrolhead community to Losail International Circuit for a DBS-tastic driving event. The company was celebrating the availability of the new droptop DBS Volante and the growling V12 Vantage.

Assorted members of Doha’s press corps and Qatar society attended in force to get a trip round the track with one of Aston Martin’s top test drivers from the UK. Among the throng were Alaa Abbas, CEO of Horizon Automobiles, Salman Abdullah Abdulghani, Chairman of Horizon Automobiles and various members of the Aston Martin team from the UK and the regional head office in Dubai. The event was a roaring success as four of the best Astons in the company’s stable of automotive thoroughbreds were put through their paces around the 5km motorcycle circuit. Sur la Terre went for a spin and we admit, while it was difficult to look like James Bond in a bulbous, white openface crash helmet, it is very difficult not to look cool while throwing a V8 Vantage into a double apex drift at 60kph.

Top left to bottom right: The Aston Martin DB9 The Aston Martin V8 Vantage hits top speed on the straight Salman Abdullah Abdulghani, Chairman of Horizon Automobiles, and Sheikh Thani Khalid Al-Thani enjoy the latest issue of Sur la Terre The DB9 being put through its paces on the track Salman Abdullah Abdulghani, flanked by Saleh Ahmed Ali and Sheikh Thani Khalid Al-Thani

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Doha Tribeca Film Festival Opens and Closes on the Red Carpet

The inaugural Doha Tribeca Film Festival came and went in 2009, flooding Qatar with torrents of great films, good times and star power. Seemingly every resident of Qatar came out to the Museum of Islamic Art for the event’s opening day, which saw thousands of audience members enjoy the new Hillary Swank film Amelia. The festival’s closing night fiesta was similarly well-attended , but this time the cinematic treat came in the form of Cairo Time. While taking in the bright lights and big moments, the Doha community got the chance to rub elbows with greatness as the likes of legendary Hollywood directors like Martin Scorcese and Mira Nair sauntered down the LED red “carpet” with their graceful gaits. Other high-profile attendees included Sir Ben Kingsley, Patricia Clarkson, Jeffrey Wright and Alexander Siddig. Big smiles and beautiful gowns competed with the brilliance of the big screen on the MIA’s grounds, lighting up the night with true Hollywood delight.

Top left to bottom right: Patricia Clarkson, Alexander Siddig, Ruba Nadda Sir Ben Kingsley and wife Daniela Barbosa de Carneiro Amanda Palmer Crowds lined the red carpet for a glimpse of the Tribeca talent Martin Scorecese

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Top left to bottom right: The Museum of Islamic Art played a starring role in the festival Fans flocked to the festival for more than just film Patricia Clarkson Mira Nair

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New Rolls-Royce Showroom Launches at The Pearl

The Pearl recently received arguably its most luxurious new tenant as Rolls-Royce opened its new showroom in November 2009. Sporting the same decadent image that has become synonymous with the Rolls-Royce name, the new showroom is a perfect fit at the elite manmade island. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having seen the development of The Pearl Qatar over recent months, I am convinced that it is the ideal environment to house the pinnacle of luxury in the automotive market.

Our presence on this exclusive venue reinforces

Top left to bottom right: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Doha Team Joseph Tayyar with the Japanese, Afghani and Lybian Ambassadors Omar Alfardan and Mr. Peter Schoppmann Omar Alfardan, Joseph Tayyar, Fahad Alfardan and Peter Schoppmann

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the strategic importance of Qatar and the Middle East region to the future growth of RollsRoyce,” said Tom Purves, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Hosted by Peter Schoppman, Rolls-Royce’s Regional Director for the Middle East, and Omar Alfardan, President of Alfardan Automobilesand Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Doha, the gala event was attended by the city’s best and brightest in business and society, all of whom were impressed by both the showroom and the newest Rolls to hit the market, the Ghost.

Top left to bottom right: Hussein Alfardan Aisha Alfardan, Hussein Alfardan and Joseph Tayyar Fahad Alfardan, Mohammed Alam and AbdulKarim Awwad Peter Schoppmann and Omar Alfardan Ali Alfardan, Hussein Alfardan, Aisha Alfardan and Omar Alfardan AbdulKarim Awwad, HE Dr. Venct Zolo Ambassador of South Africa and Naim Majdalani

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Jumping for joy

Throughout November, Qatar reiterated its position as a regional sporting heavyweight. First we had the Sony Ericsson WTA tennis championship, then the mighty Brazil took to the pitch to offer England a lesson in footballing skill and guile. As if that wasn’t enough, the middle of the month saw sport in sunny Doha become distinctly equestrian as the Global Champions Tour, one of the world’s premier showjumping events, galloped into town for its tournament finale.

Sur la Terre was there, of course, sipping fruit cocktails and hobnobbing with great and good of the emirate’s equestrian set.

No one can dispute Qatar’s pedigree when it comes to all things equestrian, after all, our fair peninsular produces some of the finest Arabian thoroughbreds and purebreds there are so, naturally, the competition saw a fantastic turnout. The Global Champions put on a great show for the local and international audience, with a well-fought and exciting competition which eventually saw Bernardo Alves narrowly take the glory, riding Kingly du Reverdy to victory over the other 17 riders who had qualified for the event.

To the victor, the spoils, and to honour the occasion, in addition to the total QR4.9m prize money on offer, there was also an original sculpture of an Arabian horse’s head, covered in gold and worth more than QR43,000, donated by Doha’s international jeweller, Kanz. The managing director of Kanz, Mr Ohan Assadourian, personally crafted the unique piece, which drew admiring gasps and certainly (if you will pardon the pun) turned the head of the luxury-loving Sur la Terre team.

Top left to bottom right: Riders in action at the Doha Final of the 2009 Global Champions Tour Mohammed Al Jaidah, Janis Couillebault and Lauren O’Brian

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Jackson Pollock

Secret Technology

Museum of Bad Art

When most people think of the most inspired expressionist abstract modern art of the 20th century, they think of Jackson Pollock.

On the other hand, when most people think of haphazard, pseudo-artistic hackery ... they think of Jackson Pollock. Both widely lauded and fiercely detested for his “drip technique” of throwing household paint on canvas in a kaleidoscope of colour and form, Pollock used the movement of his body and the genius of his mind to concurrently impress and anger an entire generation of so-called art critics. We respect that. That’s why, when we heard about www.jacksonpollock.org, we had to check it out. The site is, just as the painter’s style was purported to be, very simplistic. Of course, it’s also just as arresting. Essentially, the user enters the website and finds before him or her a blank, white page. The first move of the mouse launches onto the screen a burst of random color in the same paint blots that made Pollock so famous. Clicking the left mouse button changes the hue being thrown, allowing you to mix up the colour scheme to recreate digitally what defined an arts movement. We initially thought that the site had a fairly short shelf life, but hours later, we were still working on our own “masterpieces.”

Jason Nelson is a weird guy; luckily, we like weird. Known in certain circles as an influential, modern multimedia poet, this American-born lecturer on Cyberstudies at the Griffith University in Queensland, Australia is one nutty little neuron necromancer. Mixing avante-garde imagery and animations with live film, poetry and simple internet applications and games, Nelson allows visitors to his website, www.secrettechnology.com to create oddball digital works of “art.” His creations range from the reasonably normal, random poetry maker in “Poem Cube,” to the downright flummoxing, yet morbidly addictive slot machine game, “This Is How You Will Die.” Other games like the scrawlingly sketched-out “Game, Game Game and Again Game” turns a harshly satirical, infinitely perplexing and overly surreal light on mass consumerism and reliance on information technology... we think. The site would be frustrating if it wasn’t so insanely addictive and strange. Staying on it too long made our collective brains melt, but that’s the price you pay for an existential existence; and in the words of Zaphod Beeblebrox from Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, we’ll do “anything for a weird life.”

Since 1992, the curatorial team at the Museum of Bad Art, or MOBA, have dedicated their lives to “bringing the worst of art to the widest of audiences.” Originally exhibiting their rare pieces from the basement of a private home in Boston, the growing gallery of grotesque taste has since spread its wings, hosting its first permanent collection outside a men’s restroom inside of a local community movie theatre that apparently was built in 1927. Its legacy of lameness continued to spread into yet another basement of yet another theatre shortly thereafter. With a dedicated staff, including a Permanent Acting Interim Executive Director, MOBA has, to hilarious effect, finally gifted to the world a space for no-talent artistic whack-jobs, which is the scientific term for the disorder. Now available on their website, the permanent collection’s perplexingly purile pieces will simultaneously make you smile from the ridiculousness of it all and cry for the state of the human condition. To assist in the art “disappreciation,” the helpful members of MOBA analyse each piece with a discerning eye. To get a glimpse of art that is “too bad to be ignored,” there is literally no better place to patronise ... in every sense of the word.

www.jacksonpollock.org

www.secrettechnology.com

www.museumofbadart.org

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Wall and Piece, Banksy

Ok, so we don’t know much about graffiti.

We can’t even draw a straight line, and have handwriting that is “good from far, but far from good.” Still, this one grabbed our attention.

Wall and Piece is a book by the notoriously ubiquitous and evasive British street artist Banksy, and is an excellent way of getting the “down low” on what graffiti culture is all about. Nobody really knows the true identity of this Bansky character, which is kind of the point. Graffiti isn’t supposed to be just about the artist. It’s supposed to be about the art and graffiti is art that is truly free and easily accessible. You get a really good sense of that with Banksy. His art is politically, socially and ethically motivated. One person may see a bunch of monkeys stenciled on the side of a train, while someone else may see a statement.

Unfortunately, because it’s received such a bad reputation of vandalism, people ignore its subversive and much deeper nature. In Banksy’s Wall and Piece, you get a view of graffiti’s flexibility and evolution, from his famous sea view on the wall in Palestine, to satire art that is actually hung in the Louvre. Banksy shows that art can transcend all boundaries...even if it’s done by a guy in a hoodie in the middle of the night.

Palestine, Joe Sacco

Comics are a combination of art and literature.

Yeah...pretty bold statement right? Comics are just another way to tell a story, plain and simple. It’s the writers/artists that know how to use space to tell a story that put comics on a higher plane. Enter Joe Sacco; a journalist who puts himself in danger to show the world the truth about important issues. He’s also a comic artist, creating such works as Safe Area Gorazde, a COMIC BOOK about the Bosnian War. In 1996, he created Palestine, an epic graphic novel that covers a two month period where Sacco went to Palestine to learn what it was really like for Palestinians to live in an occupied land.

The graphic novel shows his experience as an American journalist, so hungry for a story that he went to a place he knew nothing about to see for himself what was happening. His words are friendly and his art is unique and a bit funny looking, but a treat to view. He personalises the conflict and he does it all with pictures and word balloons. It’s commendable, really, to take something so heavy and complicated as the Palestinian conflict and to put it in the simple form of what comic nerds like to call “sequential art.” It’s just a brilliant, refreshing way to tell such an important story.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde

This gothic horror classic, and Oscar Wilde’s only novel, explores the uncanny power of art.

Set forever ago, the story follows Dorian Gray, a ridiculously attractive socialite, who goes from hobnobbing with friends into downward spiral of sin and decadence. It all starts with a portrait his friend Basil Hallward paints of him. When Gray sees just how darn pretty he looks on canvas, he makes a wish that he can always look that way. In true gothic horror style, his wish comes true. Instead of aging in real life, the portrait version of Dorian bears the brunt of time. Combine this eternal youth card with a charming, sarcastic and devious little accelerant called Lord Henry Wotton (the most interesting character in the book) and you’ve got the makings of some excellent discussions on morality. He’s the kind of bad guy you love to love, always pushing to see just how far Gray will go and of what he and others are really capable. The novel has a fair amount of exposition in it, which is a good thing when it comes to Oscar Wilde. He’s smart, funny, sharp and one of the most quotable writers in history.

He uses these talents to show what living a life devoted solely to pleasure really looks like.

sur la terre tunes

The Blueprint 3, Jay-Z

The old king is dead, long live the new king. This is the chant that has been resounding from Jay-Z fans when the famed New York rapper’s 11th record, The Blueprint 3, also became his 11th number one album in the charts, thus toppling the previous benchmark set by the former king, Elvis Presley. With the utmost credit to Elvis, we can see why Jay’s latest has received such a popular reception and critical acclaim. The Blueprint 3 sees Jay truly on top of his game, even though that ship should have sailed a while ago. As always, his lyrics are as solid as a gold brick and his smooth yet articulate flow, peerless. Bumpy yet melodious tracks like “We Made History” merge effortlessly with slightly more rock & roll tracks like the ode to his home town, “Empire State of Mind” with Alicia Keys. Of course, we also love the other singles that have dropped on the radio from the album, like “Run This Town,” with Rihanna and Kanye “Yo, Taylor, I’m gonna let you finish ...” West, and especially “D.O.A.” (Death of Auto-Tune), not only because it’s a great song, but because it points the finger at every artist who has recently relied on autotune technology to be better. Honestly, we didn’t think that Jay-Z could do it; that he had another great album in him. Thankfully, we were wrong.

Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, Mariah Carey

We’re going to call it like it is: the 90s belonged to Mariah Carey. When her first, self-titled album dropped in 1990, the superstar soprano captivated fans with a vocal range that could shatter glass or rumble the bass-line of any out-of-fashion ghetto blaster boombox. Now even we’ve been turned into Carey cronies, befriending her modernised, yet still classic, R’n’B style. In her 12th studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, Carey runs through the emotions one might expect from a musical megastar, from the self-important (and apparently Eminem-targeted) poppy single “Obsessed,” to more classical, ballady tracks like “Betcha Gon’ Know,” and “Inseperable,” though the latter sounds like she might be evoking a bit of Beyonce, ironically enough. We admit that the R’n’B sound has become largely saturated in the “same old, same old,” and Memoirs... hits an early crescendo midway through the album, but Carey’s distinctive voice still allows its listener to remember why she became so popular in the first place and forces you to keep listening, which is made all the more easier by the short running times of each song.

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Into Battle with The Art of Noise, The Art of Noise

Trying to decide who we should review in this issue’s “Classic” music section was actually fairly difficult, especially because we wanted to relate it to our “Art” theme. After going a round for seemingly endless minutes, we finally decided, quite logically in the end, on The Art of Noise. The British group’s 1983 synergetic debut album, Into Battle with The Art of Noise, was, particularly for its day, quite revolutionary. Utilising, or arguably creating, a growing synthetic industrialpop fad of the time, the band was one of the first to extensively sample the thudding drum beats of previously recorded songs to make something entirely new and refreshingly strange. The most successful track, “Beat Box,” which is a tinny, almost entirely “instrumental” number that sounds like the heavy soundtrack of an earlyeighties automotive assembly line, could still be played and enjoyed today. This led to other famous tracks like the Tom Jones-centric cover of Prince’s “Kiss,” which is just ... amazing in so many ways; not all of them necessarily “good.”

SLT highly suggests that you dip back into the palette of your past and take another stroke with The Art of Noise. You won’t be disappointed.

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sur la terre flicks: Tribecca Special

Racing Dreams

Driving is a huge rite of passage for teenagers all over the world. A license means freedom. It means you don’t have to show up to parties anymore in the back seat of your mom’s car.

You finally feel like a grown up, but when it comes down to it, you just want to go fast.

Imagine getting to do this when you’re eleven.

Welcome to Racing Dreams, the world of preteen NASCAR. Award-winning Marshall Curry’s latest documentary follows three kids (aged 11 to 13) down the fast lane of the World Karting Association’s National Pavement Series. For those of you who know nothing about the sport, it’s kids in really, really fast go-karts that race their way through puberty to the high-speed world of NASCAR. This life is no stroll in the park. The kids spend almost every weekend of their young lives travelling around the country, competing while their parents spend almost every penny on the cars. The races are intense, but it is the kids that are the most compelling part of the film. Curry puts you in the passenger seat and lets you get to know them, their parents, their everyday lives and what drives them to immerse themselves in such a hectic and expensive lifestyle. It’s 80 mph of temper tantrums and puppy love, but in the end, it’s one heck of a ride.

The Time That Remains Russian filmmaker Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky always said that you can’t make a really powerful story about something unless you’ve experienced it yourself. It doesn’t have to be literal, but every filmmaker should know what they’re talking about. Palestinian director Elia Suleiman does just this in his newest film. The Time That Remains is another semiautobiographical movie about Suleiman’s life, the occupation of Palestine and what it’s like to feel lost in your own home. Starting with the creation of Israel in 1948, Suleiman creates a series of vignettes from the journals of his father, the letters of his mother and his own experiences, to present day when he returns to Palestine after years of exile. In his signature way, he creates a whole picture out of small parts using very little dialogue, very little facial expression and a whole lot of humour. What you get is a deeply moving, wickedly smart, sometimes surreal and always witty portrayal of the Palestinian identity crisis. This film was hands down the best of Doha Tribeca Film Festival. It’s got everything ... censorship jokes, tanks, inappropriate neighbours. It’s even got a great Hitchcock reference, and who doesn’t like a good Hitchcock reference?

Team Qatar

We didn’t see Team Qatar coming. First of all, we are novices at best in the art of debate, and secondly, Doha very sparingly comes out with new things. Team Qatar, however, was an absolutely refreshing delight. Documentary filmmaker Liz Mermin follows five multicultural teenagers from Doha to England and the US as they train and prepare for the World Championships in Washington DC. This competition is the first time these kids have debated against anyone other than each other.

Their very colourful, witty coach Alex hilariously attempts to transform them from awkward, nerdy teenagers to master debaters in an impossibly short crash course. What makes the movie is the people in it. You get a handful of funny, unassuming, eager-to-learn kids with strong opinions who want to show the world what Qatar can really do, willing to debate and discuss any subject along the way no matter how controversial or ridiculous. From starting the film perfectly on a light note, to hanging out in the debaters homes, to reasons why you can’t use Hitler against the German team, to all the arguments in between, the tone is set for one of the most charming documentaries we’ve seen in a long time.

sur la terre joysticks

Batman: Arkham Asylum The Caped Crusader. The Dark Knight. The ... guy who inexplicably wears black underwear on the outside of skintight spandex. Actually, that last one is our Uncle Larry. He also wears a medallion! Back to the point, despite what you want to call him, while Batman has successfully transcended the lone medium of his creation - comic books - into other areas such as TV, radio and fillm, the one area that Bats has always come up short, for one reason or another, is in the art of the video game.

Fortunately for our hero, there is finally a light at the end of his batcave. Batman: Arkham Asylum comes from a rare understanding of how Batman pitches his war on crime; that is to say, covertly and in the shadows. Crouching, hiding, lurking, stealth and surprise are all your friends in this impressive third-person action title. Arkham Asylum does see its fair share of cape-draped, button mashing melee mayhem, while an extra element of excellence is the game’s use of detective work to move along the well written plot. An evolutionary, easy-to-pick up gameplay combines with interactive environments and breathtaking graphics to make this game one of our current favourites. So much, in fact, that some of the editorial team are starting to dress like Uncle Larry...

Guitar Hero 5

Guitar Hero is one of those rare video game franchises that aids in elevating you social stature to a higher level. Are you a geeky, notalent weirdo with clumsy fingers and tone deafness, but can manipulate four to five video controllers simultaneously without batting an eyelash? If so, Guitar Hero is your hook up to hardcore bragging rights and hard rockin’ beat downs. Ever since the title was launched in 2005, it has given pale gamers a reason to leave their parents’ basement; almost ironically, it has also allowed a recently untapped segment of gamers to be reached: GIRLS! If you’ve never played before, it’s fairly simple to understand. Basically, you are given a plastic guitar-shaped controller and, as you watch the screen, you must match the corresponding colour prompts by “playing” your chosen song. GH’s party-style gameplay has been turned up even more in its fifth iteration. Not only are you able to incorporate the singing and drumming features made popular by the title’s predecessor, Guitar Hero World Tour, but now the gameplay is that much more group-oriented, with a much more robust career mode, a more intuitive rating system (including whether or not you can manipulate the crowd well) and an ampedup music studio, where you can throw down tracks inspired by your own inner demons, and not just those of Ozzy Osborne.

Mario Paint

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What’s the only thing better than creativity?

Why, creativity inspired by an adventurous digital Italian plumber, of course! The Super Mario Brothers name is pretty much a seal of excellence when it comes to video games.

Mario Paint, which came out in 1992 on the amazingly versatile Super Nintendo console was one such game. Shifting gears from the usual jumping action side-scroller, this title allowed gamers to paint freehand pictures (ala, Microsoft Paint), compose original instrumental songs, create animations and play cute, little mini games - mostly involving a fly swatter - to wile away the time until the wee hours of the morning. One of the coolest features is that it came with a mouse pad instead of the classic controller to give its user more maneuverability and easier control. Mario Paint spawned a slew of semisequels and lacklustre, unrelated titles that were inspired by it, but none of them came even remotely close to the cool kitsch value of the original. In fact, the legendary status of this instant classic still resounds today, as many creations can be seen on YouTube. Mario Paint was a forerunner in terms of 8 megabit creativity, and for that, we shall always be thankful. Now, enough fun and games, Mario.

Fix our leaking toilet already!

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sur la terre snapshot

Continuing our “art” theme to the very last page, we here at Sur la Terre are pleased to introduce upcoming local photographer, Esra Abduliawad, the Qatar winner of the International Heritage Photography Exhibition. Twenty-year-old Esra is a student at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Qatar. The image is of Al-Zubarah Fort, which inspired Esra with its symbolism as pillar of strength, stability and honour. AlZubarah fort is an iconic artifact of Qatari history and heritage and is located on the emirate’s north-west coast.

You can see Esra’s work, and that of all the exhibition’s winners, at VCU Qatar until January 16th 2010.

Photographer: Esra Abduliawad

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sur la terre cultural agenda

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sur la terre the agenda

Commercialbank Qatar Masters Golf Tournament January 8th - 10th, 2010

Doha Golf Club will once again play host to the world’s top golfers as the prestigious 2010 Commercialbank Qatar Masters tournament tees off in January. Yes, the best fairway flyers will be batting their balls around our very own Championship course for the 12th year running as they compete for honours as part of the PGA European Tour – one of the biggest golf tours in the world. While the course might seem like an oasis of calm in the dusty desert of Doha, it is renowned, and feared in equal measure, for its tough par 3 holes and numerous water hazards.

In 2009, Swashbuckling Spaniard, Alvaro Quiros, comfortably won the competition thanks to a final round of 69 securing a place in the world’s top 30 and the winner’s cheque for $416,660. Who will take the crown in 2010? Will Quiros defend his title or will in-form Lee Westwood beat him to it. Maybe Ireland’s Padraig Harrington will make a surge for desert glory, or perhaps we will see Kiwi Geoff Ogilvy take the trophy south. To find out, swing over to www.qatar-masters.com to secure your tickets.

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sur la terre the agenda - Doha

Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra January 6th, 2010

After celebrating its first year of entertaining Doha’s musical culture-vultures with a spectacular gala event in November, the Qatar Philharmonic is well into its second season of concerts and performances. The first evening of music planned for the new year will be on January 6th, when the QPO will present an evening of wonderful Italian Opera Arias which

are sure to warm the chilly Doha winter with their well rounded melodies and full, hearty rhythms. This will be the first in a series of events, yet to be finalised by the QPO, that will take the orchestra right through to the summer.

If it is anything like the last season, every show is sure to be a hit. In 2009 the QPO thrilled with famous film themes, rocked with Rachmininov

and cheered up the children with Peter and the Wolf, among other great shows. With that in mind, 2010’s programme is set to be spectacular.

If you want more information or to be kept up to date with upcoming shows, contact the organisation directly at qpopr@qf.org.qa, and chat to the orchestra’s new marketing and PR manager, Christina Chammas.

Doha Jewellery And Watches Exhibition 2010 February 16th - 22nd, 2010

The Qatar International Exhibition Centre will once again fling open its doors on one of the region’s, quite literally, glittering events. The Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition is one of the Gulf’s premier jewellery events, attracting thousands from around the region and beyond.

Among the sparkling superstars on show will be Cartier, Graff, Van Cleef & Arpels, Rolex, Raymond Weil, Richard Mille and many more top tier brands and products. In fact, this is just the tip of the “ice”

burg, as there will be 500 world renowned brands, and 26 local companies, covering more than 12,000 square metres of floorspace at the six-day event. In its 7th year, the event, which is organised by Qatar Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, is sure to be an even bigger success than last year. Of course, Sur la Terre will be there, bathing in luxury and swimming in shimmering stones, from the stellar opening night through to the show’s lustrous conclusion. www.dohajewels.com