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Reach: Welcome!
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nother hot summer in Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar. As always, the economy and politics take centre stage. More than a year after the June 23rd 2016 referendum in the UK and Gibraltar, Brexit is still a main topic of conversation on both sides of the frontier. So much so, that this year the legendary Spanish ex Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez will be speaking on the subject at the traditional University of Cadiz seminars, hosted by the Mayor of San Roque, Juan Carlos
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tro verano de justicia en Gibraltar y el Campo de Gibraltar. Como siempre, la economía y la política están en las mentes de todos y todas. Más de un año después del referéndum del 23 de junio de 2016 en el Reino Unido y Gibraltar, el Brexit sigue siendo uno de los principales temas de conversación a ambos lados de la frontera. Tanto así que este año el histórico presidente español Feli-
pe González hablará sobre el tema en los seminarios de San Roque de la Universidad de Cádiz, gracias a las gestiones del alcalde de San Roque, Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix. En Reach continuamos proporcionando una narrativa alternativa para tratar de mostrar lo mejor de Gibraltar cara a la región. En las páginas de hoy hablamos con otra leyenda de nuestros días, el cantautor
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Ruiz- Boix. At Reach we continue to provide an alternative complimentary narrative to try to show what is good about the region. In today’s pages we talk to another legend, the Gibraltarian singer songwriter Albert Hammond who I caught up with recently while he was in town. Hammond is the ‘kid’ who packed up his bags in the ‘60’s and journeyed into the unknown in search of fame and fortune. His life is a fascinating tale of struggle and massive success;
gibraltareño Albert Hammond, con quien me encontré recientemente durante una de sus visitas a nuestra comarca. Hammond es el “niño” que hizo sus maletas en los años 60 y viajó a lo desconocido en busca de fama y fortuna. Su vida es una historia fascinante de esfuerzo y éxito masivo; tanto es así que cada minuto, en algún lugar del mundo se escucha una de sus canciones. Su filosofía sobre la vida proporciona una visión única de la
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so much so that every minute that goes by, somewhere in the world one of his songs is being played. His philosophies on life provide a unique insight into the mind of a man who kept going, and I hope this inspires you as much as it has inspired me. As always, we hope you enjoy this edition of Reach, and don’t forget to look over some the events that are happening on the Rock this summer on page 8.
- Chris Gomez Chris@techniq.gi
mente de un hombre aventurero - espero que sus ideas te inspiren tanto como me han inspirado a mí. Como siempre, esperamos que disfrute de esta edición de Reach, y no olvides de leer la pagina 8 donde verás una lista de algunos de los eventos que ocurrirán en la Roca durante este verano.
- Chris Gomez Chris@techniq.gi
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CIty of the Future
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City of the Future: Gibraltar Pioneers Eco-Friendly Wave Power Farm from a pioneering Scottish company that connected wave power to the grid in 2004; a tube-like device from Ocean Power Technologies of New Jersey; and bobbing buoys similar to Eco Wave’s system developed by another Scots firm.
And, confirming the technology, Environment, and Climate Change Minister, John Cortes added ‘This is clearly working. I think that the future is bright and the future, like the past all those six million years ago, is in the power of the sea all around us.’
When initially launched April 2016 Gibraltar’s wave farm generated only100 KW, but this in is to be expanded to at least 5 MtW within the next two years. Operating through a 25-year power purchase agreement between Eco Wave Power, the Government, and the Gibraltar Mr. Fabian Picardo Hon Chief Minister, Inna Braveman (Co FounElectricity Authority, at full cader of Eco Wave Power), and Mr John Cortes (Minister of Environpacity the farm is expected to ment & Climate Change) generate 15% of the Rock’s haped by the sea over sive 17-metre tidal change to total electricity consumption. thousands of millennia, do so - the Eco Wave Power Funded partly by the European the Rock is harnessing those ‘farm’ is simpler than many. Regional Development Fund, same forces of Nature to proand partly by private invesvide a fresh source of renewa- Though scientifically sophisti- tors it will help bring Gibraltar ble, eco-friendly energy, and by cated, the system is relatively in line with the EU’s renewanext year this should provide a simple. A float which moves ble energy goal - to generasteady 5MW - enough each day up and down with the waves, te a fifth of all requirements to provide electricity for at least moves a piston to compress by renewable power by 2020. 400 households for a year. a hydraulic fluid into a storaEventually the Gibraltar Wave ge accumulator. When the Describing the wave farm as Farm, developed by an Israeli compressed fluid is relea- ‘pioneering’, at last May’s offifirm, could provide up to a third sed the resulting energy dri- cial launch Chief Minister Faof Gibraltar’s energy needs. ves an hydraulic motor which bian Picardo told journalists: then turns an electric geneThe project, on the site of the rator - producing clean ener‘At last we are seeing the World War II ammunition jetty gy while returning the spent grid fed with renewable energy, near Gorham’s Cave, is Euro- fluid back to the compressor. something that was long overpe’s first commercial, grid-condue ...But it’s even more excinected wave energy power Given the ocean’s power, wave ting than that. This is the first station. And though it is not the energy has long been a promi- time, in the whole of Europe, first development to use the sing source of renewable ener- that a renewable wave energy movement of tides and waves gy. In the past 15 years com- system is linked into an electrito generate energy - half a cen- panies have developed various city grid. The Gibraltarians are tury ago, an early trial system designs, including a snake-like here pioneers in our partnerin Patagonia harness a mas- apparatus with hinged joints ship with Eco Wave Power...’
Eco Wave Power, which was established after lengthy planning to provide a new and competitive wave energy technology. ‘Such technology enables [us] to deliver effective, sustainable, practical, feasible, and affordable wave energy solutions, which are responsive to the needs of local communities, cities, and countries worldwide, the firm says on its website.
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Due to our awareness to the oscillating need of renewable energy sources, Eco Wave Power has developed and commercialized its 100% owned patents, which are capable of producing large amounts of affordable, zero-emission renewable power ‘The energy convertor is an award-winning, inexpensive technology, to harvest wave energy from high and low waves. It is designed to be simple and robust.’ Find out more at:
www.ecowavepower.com
- Peter Schirmer
Albert Hammond
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The ‘Street Kid’ from Gibraltar Who Dared to Dream
“I was washing dishes at the Chelsea Drugstore on the King’s Road. Every time my first hit “Little Arrows” came on the radio, which was my first hit as a songwriter, I’d tell the guys with me; “that’s my song!” and they would just laugh. They didn’t believe me.” lmost every minute of A every day, somewhere in the world someone is liste-
felt great to come back to Gibraltar - firstly because I grew up here, and, of course, bening to or playing one of Al- cause I have family here!” bert Hammond’s chart-topping An almost entirely self-tausongs. The Gibraltarian has, ght musician, Hammond made over the past 55 years, has a deal with his father’s barber. been the creative genius of “The barber was a flamenhits for internationally recog- co player, I didn’t want to learn nised singers such as Celine flamenco, but I loved Buddy Dion, Witney Houston, Dia- Holly, that’s who my idol was,” na Ross, Tina Turner, Bonnie he explains. Tyler, Westlife, Ace of Bass and is a renowned singer in “I told him ‘I’ll come and his own right. sweep the hair off your floor It was in mid-1960’s that the if you teach me just three ‘mischievous street kid’ left chords on the guitar’. I knew the Rock to follow his dream - if I could learn three chords in the steps of his idol Buddy then I could play Buddy HoHolly on a path started a few lly songs.” years earlier - by his father’s barber who taught him three And he took the first steps chords on a guitar - an instru- on his long path to success. ment he chose over the piano By turning his back on the acbecause he used to think was cepted formulae of song wri‘feo’. ting he could explore and conAlbert Hammond has topped vey his unique style through 30 charts and had a stunning music that he can truly call his 360 million record sales - the own. In fact, instead of ‘song ‘kid from the Rock’ who dared writing’, Hammond prefers to to dream… and made it. refer to his process as ‘discoAsked what it felt like to be very’. home, he told me: “It’s like be“I discover chords that any ing a kid again! It’s changed musician would just say ‘Oh a bit. I was a street kid who that’s a G major 7 over 9th’, wasn’t very good at school. and I think that I’ve just discoI wasn’t a bad guy, but I was vered the world!” he smiles. “ mischievous. And it’s always When you ‘discover’ you think
Albert Hammond & local broadcast celebrity and musician Richard Cartwright reminiscing their first ever gig as the Diamond Boys at the old Radio Gibraltar Studio
‘nobody’s ever done this’- so all these melodies emerge that wouldn’t if you actually knew what the chord was.” Such irregular patterns gave birth to hit songs such as ‘I’m a Train’. “Not knowing music was a great asset for me… Knowing music is an asset if you want to be an arranger, but it’s not going to make you any better as a song writer. In fact, for me it would have made me worse.” Initially his producers dismissed ‘I’m a Train’ as unacceptable, he tells me. “I went in and sang it to the guy, with my arrangement and he stopped me in the middle and
said ‘No! You can’t have a twofour bar in the middle of a fourfour bar song!’ and I said ‘What do you mean?! It sounds great! It totally works for me... and I’m still discovering chords today.” “The beginning was a struggle, well actually, my whole life has been a bit of a struggle; even today! But you have to persevere, that’s the whole point!” His path to success was not straight forward, and he has overcome hardships that would have sent most people home. Hammond worked as a dishwasher in London,
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Thursday, 6th July 2017
couch hopped, played to disgruntled audiences in men’s clubs - even cleaning houses to fund his journey. “Many tears, many heart aches, but then that’s part of what makes you stronger. I always believed in one thing that is very important, but which most people don’t understand, success is not about being number one. Success is every time you fall down, you get back up.’ Nor is Hammond negative about the ‘bad times’ seeing them as an integral to his star-studded peak. He believes he has been ‘guided’ by some form of ‘spirit’ or ‘energy’ that has been watching over him since his birth. “It’s a positive spirit that is full of love, no negativity, no ego, just a positive spirit… Sometimes when I’m down or having a cold period, I get this feeling inside me that I am going to write some really great stuff, months before I actually do.” It was this spirit which guided him to the Emmy Award-winning “One Moment in Time”, which he wrote for the 1988 Summer Olympics, and which became a worldwide hit - a No1 in the UK singles charts and fifth on the US Billboard 500. “They called me up and said, ‘we need a song to represent in America in the Summer Olympics, would you write it?’. I said ‘Yes’, hung up the phone, and thou-
ght they’ve probably asked a thousand other writers… But I told myself, I’m going to write the one I think it should be…” “My immediate thoughts were about Elvis. So, I imagined his voice, and what kind of song he would sing, I even sang it in his voice. Elvis was the inspiration behind that song. When finished, I sent the demo out to Clyde Davis, and two weeks later the cassette arrives - recorded by Witney Houston. When I heard it, I played it ten times and cried.” Last year, Albert opened a new chapter in his journey. His 22nd album ‘In Symphony’ has a €500,000 budget, and in collaboration with another Emmy Award winner, Rob Mathes - has given a stunning classical spin to his greatest hits. “This was something I’ve
Albert Hammond
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been thinking about for the past 15 years or so - how would Beethoven arrange ‘When I Need You’, or how would Tchaikovsky do ‘Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now’?” “I was in the Abbey Road studio, surrounded by this huge symphonic orchestra... the feeling was so good, the image when I closed my eyes was of a huge bird wrapping its wings around me.” He sees the album as his ‘rebirth’ after a 30-year withdrawal from the spotlight. “I think it’s a little masterpiece,” he tells me. “At the age of 69 I started performing again, and I am more successful now than previously. I played last week to 15,000 people. And that’s what I’m trying to say. It’s about your tenacity, your belief in yourself! It doesn’t matter if people say “es un hijo
de p***, I don’t listen to them. I follow people like Gandhi, who teaches that everything should come from a place of love.” Hammond plans to follow Gandhi’s path - to sell all his worldly possessions and follow a traveller’s way of life. He currently heads Helping Hands, a charity for which he will travel next year funding and building houses for South Africa’s poor freed of the responsibilities that come with ‘owning too many things’ – which he refers to as ‘headaches’. “All these things I have, I don’t really want. I’m going to get rid of all of it and live from my suitcase and a hotel until I die, because then I’m free. I have too much to give to life for all these headaches. I’d rather be free and help people all over the world.” he says. Hammond the dreamer has come a long way since those early days of struggle, but believes that he still hasn’t written his greatest song yet. And, with the young guitarist’s first dream fulfilled, it is an older and wiser Albert who has embraced another. You can find out more about Albert Hammond’s tour dates at www.alberthammond. com - Chris Gomez
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Coming Up!
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Miss Gibraltar 8th July 2017 And the question on everyone’s mind at the moment is… Who will be next?
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n the last edition, we took you into the glamorous world of Gibraltar’s most anticipated event, the Miss Gibraltar Contest. Organised by Christian Santos for the 9th time running, this year’s pageant promises to exceed expectations, with a stunning line up of 9 contestants who will be hitting the catwalk to compete for the coveted crown and qualify for Miss World 2017.
Head over to: www.goo.gl/2Gbgqe, turn to page 5 “Meet the Contestants” and let us know who you think will be the next Miss Gibraltar by sending an email with your
chosen contestant number to chris@techniq.gi If you choose the right candidate, you will be entered into a draw to win a bottle of the Wine of the Week from “The Cellar”. Don’t miss out on what promises to be the biggest Miss
Gibraltar yet, featuring X factor winner Matt Terry and more fantastic local and international entertainment Tune in to www.gbc.gi/tv and watch live on Saturday the 8th of July at 9 PM.
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Sports News
Thursday, 6th July 2017
Top Leo FC appointments roar club’s challenge to others
Dani Herrera: Coach
Henrique Catanha: Manager
Karl Alecio: President
ith the appointment of a W top Brazilian footballer as manager of its first XI and a
new director of football with 20 years’ experience in the game in Andalusia, Second Division side Leo FC has put all clubs on notice that it means serious business this season. In the luxurious setting of Sunborn Hotel’s conference room; Second Division side Leo FC announced at a press conference the appointments of Dani Herrera as Director of Football & Catanha as First Team Manager; moves which are great for Gibraltar football and also putting all clubs on notice that they mean serious business this season. Henrique Guedes da Silva, known as Catanha, is a Brazilian born footballer but in the 1999/2000 season represented Spain at national level making three appearances. After starting off in lower teams in Brazil, he moved to Spain where he played for Malaga, Celta Vigo & Leganes. This is Catanha’s first managerial job and President Karl Alecio was delighted with the appointment stating “Our main objective is to gain promotion to the Premier Division and no one better to guide us there than a top professional with the quality and experience that Catanha brings to the table.” This is the first time something
as big as this has happened in the Second Division, let alone at Leo FC, and Mr Alecio was “looking forward” to learning from a great professional. After months of preparation and endless meetings, the President of Leo told us he was very happy and relieved that all of this was completed and is looking forward to a very busy summer and an exciting season. At the end of our conversation he sent out a very bold message saying “We want to win the league.” Leo have slowly improved over the last few seasons and this is the kind of push they need to go that one step further in the league. In Dani Herrera, Leo have appointed a Director of Footba-
ll with 20 years of experience in the game, especially in the Andalucía area where he has represented clubs such as UD Marbella, CD San Roque and Linense to name just three. With his extensive knowledge of football in the area, it is expected that Leo will sign many players from the Campo area, which could make Leo a force to be reckoned with in the Second Division next season, as they look to follow the path of Mons Calpe, who got promoted from the Second Division and firmly established themselves as one of the stronger teams in Gibraltar last season. With such a big change off the pitch, there is always a number of legal matters to deal with; to make sure there were
Nicholas Gomez: Lawyer no major bumps along the way, Leo enlisted the services of Nicholas Gomez, a lawyer from the Gibraltarian law firm Charles Gomez & Co. Gomez ensured the smooth progression of Leo’s appointments as they look to make major progress both on and off the field next season. The Second Division already promised a lot of excitement and thrills as each of the nine teams try everything to gain promotion to the Premier Division, with its riches and European football on offer; Leo adding a former Spain international into the mix has only increased that as we head into the upcoming season.
- Adam Roberts
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REACH SUPPLEMENT
Thursday, 6th July 2017
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