Hot! Hot! Hot! Boulder Area Ensembles Offer Great World Music

Next week, two extraordinary world-music events come to the Boulder Theater, Ladysmith Black Mambazo on March 4 and Bao Bao Fest on March 7. But, Boulder area residents don't need to wait to experience extraordinary world music by local ensembles.

On, February 27 Quemando! lights up the Boulder Theater at 9pm with their hot, hot, hot brand of salsa.

Then, on March 1, travel first to Zimbabwe when the Kutandara Youth Ensembles present "...So the Kids Can Fly!" with guest Zimbabwean dancer Julia Chigamba. Don't be fooled into thinking "youth" means "inexperienced." These kids are professional musicians with great stage presence and dynamic energy that can rock the house! These family-friendly shows are at 2pm and 4pm at Nomad Theater, 1410 Quince, and are free. Come early, these shows always fill up.

After a rousing time at the Nomad, drive on down to the Denver School of the Arts to catch Gamelan Tunas Mekar's evening concert "Sketches of Bali: A Celebration of Indonesian Music, Dance & Art". This world-renown ensemble offers an authentic glimpse into the beautiful island culture of Bali with exotic instruments and authentic Balinese dancers. Tunas Mekar also unveils it's new "Candi Bentar" (stage set) hand-built and painted by Balinese artist I Made Sumayasa. A rare treasure in the United States.

Find more great events on our online calendar. Support the arts, support local artists!

Boulder: Film Festival Mecca

One thing is clear, Boulderites love great films ... and they love variety.

This week brings a plethora of great films to town starting today with the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. BMFF shows today and tomorrow (February 24 & 25) at the Boulder Theater. Doors open at 6pm, screenings are at 7pm. Watch a YouTube preview on GetBoulder.com.

Also at the Boulder Theater this week, catch The Fly Fishing Film Tour on Thursday, February 26 at 7pm. "The goal of the Fly Fishing Film Tour is to energize the industry and inspire film makers to create new cutting edge films to both entertain and educate outdoor enthusiasts." Visit the Boulder Theater website for event details and to purchase tickets.

If cutting edge fly fishing is not your thing, don't despair. International Film Series presents "Children of Heaven" at Muenzinger Auditorium on the CU campus on Thursday, also at 7pm. Other IFS screenings this week include "Dawn of the Dead" on February 25 at 7 & 9:15pm and "A Christmas Tale" on February 27 & 28 at 7pm, also at Muenzinger.

Last, but not least, Bent Lens Cinema, Boulder's premier LGBTQ film society, presents "Art Core: Lessons on Art and Life" at the Nomad on Thursday, February 26. This documentary film about the relationship between obsessive collector Sam Wagstaff and controversial photographer Robert Maplethorpe screens at 7pm (doors at 6:30pm) and features a "Show and Tell" - Bring something you collect!

For more Boulder Events happening this week, visit our Daily Online Calendar.

Photo: Sam Wagstaff & Robert Mapplethorpe by Francesco Scavullo
(© Francesco Scavullo Editions)

BIFF Opening Gala Tonight!

BIFF Bold Vision : Independent Film

The Boulder Intenational Film Festival rolls into town tonight with their opening night bash at the Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. The party includes a reception from 6:30-8pm followed by a pre-release screening of "Nothing But the Truth" at 8pm.

This annual film festival, sponsored by the Colorado Film Society, draws thousands of filmmakers, media and film enthusiasts to Boulder each Presidents’ Day weekend. BIFF’s opening-night gala is one of Boulder’s biggest film events, and the closing-night awards ceremony features great films, great food and live music. Many filmmakers from all over the country participate in lively Q&A’s at their screenings.

Other highlights include a Red Carpet Valentine's Gala + Chevy Chase Tribute (with food from The Cheesecake Factory and music by Hazel Miller), the premier of "Burma VJ," screening of "The Unwinking Gaze: The Inside Story of the Dalai Lama's Struggle for Tibet," short international documentaries, and the Boulder premier of "Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love," to name a few.

Screenings are Feb. 12-15 at the Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., and Boulder Public Library 1000 Canyon Blvd. See the website for a complete schedule and online program. 303-449-2289.

For more events throughout Boulder County, visit GetBoulder.com's Daily Events Calendar.

Bells for Boulder

In celebration of the city's "sesquicentennial," the public is invited to meet downtown near the Boulder County Courthouse by noon, bells in hand to ring one time for each of Boulder's 150 years.

The group bell-ringing is expected to last about 15 minutes, and will be followed by songs played by the carillons of four buildings around town: Macky Auditorium, St. Johns Episcopal Church, Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, and St. Aidan's Episcopal Church.

Organizers said several school groups will participate, too, including: Watershed Middle School with about 40 students gathering at the courthouse; Friends' School with students ringing bells at their schoolhouse at 5465 Pennsylvania; and Whittier Elementary, which has its own bell tower.

Later today, a reception for "old timers" -- citizens older than 65 who have lived in Boulder for 50 years --will be held at Hotel Boulderado, and the City Council will host a special event with more than 30 former council members.

Come on down to the courthouse and join in this celebration of our wonderful city.

Visit the official Sesquicentennial website for more information about the year-long celebration.

Visit Boulder Magazine's Daily Calendar for more fun stuff to do around Boulder County.

And, watch the Boulder Sesquicentennial video here.

"Bloom" at St. John's Boulder Art Gallery

The St. John's Boulder Art Gallery presents new works by Mary Liz Ringer February 5 – March 31. Artist Reception is Feb. 6, 5:30-7:30pm.

"Bloom" is a kinesthetic riot of color on canvases, a collection of scenes inspired by natural forms. It is as though Mary Liz Ringer is channeling the imagery of magical realism with each stroke of her exquisite brush. Like the stories of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Georges Luis Borges, Mary Liz’s paintings are never predictable, not even as they are being created. The Bloom series, she emphasizes, is "inspired by spring, the season of hope, promise, and faith in the restoration of Earth’s balance." Mary Liz’s abstract compositions refer to landscapes and plant life. They are not real plants, says Mary Liz, but "nature-scapes that emerge out of what is hidden or unknown, the search for mystery, for God, if you will." She discovers her subjects by layering paint and carefully constructing forms inspired by nature. Then she begins a process of deconstruction; "I scratch and etch until a true shape emerges." As mysterious as her art is to her and to us, it becomes, in the end, bold and exuberant, life affirming, and very, very real.

The St. John's Boulder Art Gallery is located at 1419 Pine Street, Boulder. Admission is free. Call for hours, which are subject to seasonal changes 303-442-5246.