African Tradition Comes Alive With Circus Africa Show In Residence At Mirdif City Centre

Sponsored Link

The entertaining and educational, Circus Africa show is a performance oriented show demonstrating the African continent and its people. An experiential feast for the senses the Circus Africa show will be in residence in the mall’s Central Galleria until 16th July.

The show’s combination of skillful acrobats, African dancers, unique Unicycle, Adagio and Diabolo acts will ensure that Circus Africa is a not to be missed show this Dubai Summer Surprises.

Located in the mall’s Central Galleria, performances are underway until 16th July– three times a day – at 4.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm.

For more information about this and other events please contact 800 6422.
 

Emirates Boosts South African Services With Second Daily Flight To Cape Town

Emirates is to strengthen its commitment to South Africa with the launch of a second daily flight to Cape Town. The new service will offer passengers more choice and flexibility, as well as connect seamlessly to a wide range of onward destinations.

“South Africa and the United Arab Emirates enjoy a thriving trade and investment relationship and the launch of our second daily service to Cape Town will help boost this further by supporting new business and tourism opportunities,” said Richard Vaughan, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations Worldwide.

“We have seen very strong inbound and outbound demand for our South African services over the last year. This new frequency will bring one of South Africa’s leading tourist destinations within easier reach for visitors, as well as meet the needs of our South African customers for enhanced connections from Cape Town to Europe, the Far East and a host of other points across Emirates’ extensive global network,” added Vaughan.

Starting on the 27th March, Emirates will fly non-stop twice a day to Cape Town. The new service will be operated by an Airbus 340-500 aircraft in a three-class configuration, providing 12 luxurious First Class private suites, 42 angled lie-flat beds in Business and 204 generously-sized Economy Class seats.

Known for its dramatic natural skylines, amazing wildlife and for being a melting pot of cultural influences, Cape Town is a hub of creativity and a magnet for artists and performers. It is estimated that the ‘Mother City’ attracted three million visitors in 2010, with almost 63 per cent coming from Europe.

While flying to Cape Town, passengers in all classes can experience the award-winning ice entertainment system, which features more than 1,200 channels of on-demand including the latest blockbuster movies, 100 TV channels, more than 500 audio channels, 100 video games plus real time news, sports and business headlines.

Flight EK772 will depart Dubai (DXB) at 03:50, arriving in Cape Town (CPT) at 11:40 the same day. EK773 leaves Cape Town at 13:40 and arrives in Dubai at 01:15 the following day, connecting seamlessly to key centres in Europe, the Middle East, the Indian Sub-continent, Asia and the Far East.

The strengthening of Emirates’ South African routes comes after the airline helped to support the country’s hugely successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. As an official FIFA Partner, Emirates helped to bring the world to South Africa by flying in football fans from across its network of six continents.

Emirates currently serves 19 passenger and cargo destinations across the African continent. The new Cape Town frequencies will mean that the airline now flies 42 times a week to its three South African gateways: Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
 

South African Tourism unveils I Luv South Africa holiday brochure and www.southafricaholidays.com

South African Tourism, the organization responsible for the marketing and promotion of South Africa, has unveiled a new holiday brochure entitled “I Luv South Africa” and a website www.southafricaholidays.com for the Travel Trade and holidaymakers in Middle East. The brochure and website launch are part of a trade road show in Dubai by South African Tourism in association with Sun International, Etihad Airways and Tourism Point.

The Middle Eastern Trade Show event, held at Dubai’s Business Village Conference hall, featured a one-day trade workshop. The aim of the workshop was to bring together trade partners in the UAE together with South African Provincial Tourism authorities to further strengthen and identify opportunities to sell destination South Africa to Middle East travellers.

Commenting on the brochure and the website launch Mr. Phumi Dhlomo, Regional Director for Africa & Middle East at South African Tourism, indicated that there is clear evidence that South Africa is gaining popularity as a tourist destination within the Middle Eastern Travel Trade and holidaymakers. “We have witnessed an upward climb of visitors from Middle East to South Africa in the recent past. The number of visitors from the Middle East especially from the Arab Traveler segments has been increasing,”

“We have been conducting several marketing initiatives in this region. The trade road show, the launch of I Luv South Africa holidays brochure coupled with www.southafricaholidays.com are all part of our continuous efforts in facilitating the increase in tourist arrivals to South Africa from the Middle East,” adds Dhlomo

The website will also allow travellers and trade partners to view products from the brochure and research their holidays as they will be able to view regularly updated special holiday offers. “Additionally, consumers will be able to email for a quote or to book or download the new 2011 brochure online,” says Sujith Subramanian, General Manager Tourism Point LLC – the Africa specialized destination management company in Dubai, who owns and manages the website and the holiday brochure.

“Later this year, the site will be enhanced to allow customers to purchase their holidays directly from the site”, continued Subramanian.

The 102 page holiday brochure contains a wide variety of holiday options for travellers looking for great value and an unforgettable experience. The brochure will be published in English and Arabic languages and will feature a range of short and long holiday destinations across South Africa.. The brochure will feature packages ranging from mini getaways and adventure breaks, to fun-filled family vacations, safaris and golfing packages.

Whether travellers from Middle East want to spend a fun-filled family holiday with exciting activities for kids, a romantic honeymoon at a luxury resort or explore one of the many vibrant cities – the "I Luv South Africa" holiday brochure and www.southafricaholidays.com will assist both the Travel Trade and holiday makers in creating that special holiday in South Africa.

In addition to the trade workshop, there was a Media Launch and networking evening hosted in conjunction with Round Robin Session/Product Presentations. In attendance at the networking evening was key decision makers from the UAE Trade organizations.

To also mark the launch of the brochure and the website a fashion show was held. It consisted of 18 contestants selected from over 200 applicants from 6000 travel professionals in UAE. The former Miss South Africa 2010, Nicole Flint, was also there to lend her support for the fashion show and South African Tourism’s launch of the brochure and the website. As part of the fashion show the contestants competed for three coveted titles, including “the iconic face of South Africa”.

“Our partnership with trade and media in the region is key to our success. By showing them what is on offer from a business and leisure perspective, and giving them the opportunity to explore and experience the offerings in the country, they are better equipped to sell the packages and encourage people to visit South Africa ,” concludes Dhlomo.

Designed to be a comprehensive holiday and destination guide, I Luv South Africa holidays brochure includes top 10 reasons to visit South Africa; top 10 must visit attractions, various holiday options and detailed itineraries. The itineraries within the brochure ensure a range of three, four and five star hotels at competitive prices to help select the perfect holiday.

High resolution pictures of the launch can be downloaded from http://www.southafricaholidays.com/press/Brochure_Launch.zip

About South African Tourism
South African Tourism is the national tourism agency responsible for the marketing of South Africa as a preferred tourist destination. It is headed up by Chief Executive Officer, Ms Thandiwe January-McLean, Chief Operating Officer Mr Timothy Scholtz and Chief Marketing Officer, Ms Roshene Singh.

About Tourism Point LLC
Tourism Point LLC is an outbound and inbound destination management company based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The company specializes in holidays to and from Africa, especially South Africa. Tourism Point owns and manage www.southafricaholidays.com. Tourism Point is also the marketing agency for Sun International in Middle East.

For more information, contact:

Ms. Anusree, Tourism Point LLC,
Tel: +971 4 4329383
Fax: +971 4 4329382
 

For more information:

Email: anusree@southafricaholidays.com
Website: http://www.southafricaholidays.com

Hard-Hitting Tales Inspired From Real Life Are Focus Of Indian And South African Showcase At DIFF

Real life indeed can inspire compelling cinema narratives as films from India, South Africa and Iraq highlight at the seventh Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).

Director Khalo Matabane’s ‘State of Violence,’ is a hard-hitting drama set in the violent underbelly of modern South Africa. A rising star of the black business elite, Bobedi returns home after an evening celebrating his promotion to CEO of a large mining company, to find an intruder in his house. There is a struggle – and Bobedi’s wife is murdered in front of him. When, frustrated by the police investigation, he decides to take justice into his own hands, we learn about his own past, and discover a chilling secret at the heart of the affair. Taut, suspenseful and imbued with trenchant observations about contemporary society in post-Apartheid South Africa, ’State Of Violence’ resonates with suspense, intrigue and powerful social comment. The film will be screened today (Wednesday, Dec. 15) 7pm at Cinestar 1, the Mall of the Emirates; and on Dec. 18, 10.30 pm at Cinestar 7.

An exhilarating and politically powerful road movie by Ebrahim Saeedi, ‘Mandoo’ tells the poignant tale of a family ripped apart by conflict. As a small Kurdish girl, Sheelan emigrated with her parents to Sweden, leaving behind her extended family and the turmoil of life in Saddam-era Iraq. It’s now 20 years later and Sheelan is a successful young doctor, thriving in Sweden. But she yearns to reconnect with her family roots but shortly after she arrives in Iraq and finds her family, Sheelan’s uncle suffers a stroke. Faced with a family in turmoil and with emotions running high, Sheelan prepares to embark on a hazardous trip as the family set out to fulfil the old man’s dying wish to return to his childhood homeland of Iranian Kurdistan. The film will be screened today (Dec.15), 10.15 pm; and on Dec. 16, 2.30 pm at Cinestar 12.

From India is a fresh, invigorating slice of contemporary storytelling, ’Noise’ which exudes the energy, chaos and sheer noise of its featured city, Mumbai. In this darkly comic drama by Krishna DK and Raj Nidimoru, we plunge into the heart of Mumbai during a festival, rendering the city into a state of overdrive. Into this teeming mass of humanity, the film focuses on three distinct stories. The film screens today (Dec. 15), 6.30 pm at Cinestar 2 and on Dec. 18, 12.15 pm at Cinestar 1.

DIFF 2010 box office locations are: CineStar Mall of the Emirates, the Madinat Souk, The Walk at JBR, and at the CNN Building in Dubai Media City. Tickets can also be purchased through DIFF’s Dial-a-Ticket service at (04) 391 3378 and from the website, www.dubaifilmfest.com.

DIFF 2010 is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, the home of the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The event is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.

For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com.

African Drumming Workshop Transcends Cultural Barriers At Modhesh World

An African drumming workshop at Modhesh World has succeeded in bringing together different cultures for a simple purpose – learning to play the djembe drum.

The drumming workshop at the Modhesh Magical Forest is one of the most popular activities at Modhesh World. Children have a stimulating and amazing time at the African drumming workshop.

Yacob Ratovski from Poland, the instructor at the Modhesh Magical Forest said, “I have been playing professionally for six years now. This is the first time I am in Dubai and it has been an amazing experience teaching here. Drumming relaxes and rejuvenates your mind and body and it suits Modhesh World perfectly as it embodies the spirit of joy and fun that Modhesh World creates in the hearts of children and adults.”

“Drumming lessons here will surely open new avenues to hone skills and help children to focus; it will also stimulate their minds to be creative and innovative,” he added.

Maher, a father of four said, “This is something we have never done but it is fun. In fact, it has drawn lots of people together. We do not know each other but here we are all creating music together. I feel at ease and all of us are happy being part of this workshop.”

H. B. Leisure, DWTC, Coco-Cola, Magic Planet, Emirates, Masafi and Union Co-operative are the sponsors of Modhesh World. Modhesh World doors are open from 10.00am to 10:00pm (Saturday to Wednesday), 10:00am to midnight (Thursdays), and 3:00pm to midnight on Fridays. Tickets to the venue are priced at AED 10 for adults and AED 15 for children with numerous free zones and exciting activities.
 

African Drumming Workshop Awaits Children At Modhesh World

An African drumming workshop has brought the reverberating sounds of the djembe drum to the Modhesh Magical Forest at Modhesh World to add to the innumerable attractions at the venue during Dubai Summer Surprises. The echoing drum beats are enough to lead visitors to the zone.

The workshop starts with a small demonstration. Participants are shown the different types of drums and how they sound. They are also shown some ways of producing different sounds on the drum using different parts of the hands like the finger tips, palm and the hollow of the hand. The instructor explains that when one plays the drums one needs to relax their hands and fingers. At the end of the half an hour workshop participants are capable of creating an entire melody.

The drums provided at the Modhesh Magical Forest include the most common type of African drum called the djembe (jem-bay). The word Djem is a name of a tree with very dense wood. The word ’be’ means goat which is the skin used on top of the drum. Other popular drums like the ngoma and congo are also provided.

The workshop at Modhesh Magical Forest provides benefits like encouraging respectful and meaningful communication, fostering creativity, flexibility and spontaneity, reducing stress and enhancing team work. At the Zone parents are encouraged to participate with their children. Aous from Iraq, who came with his wife and two children said, “The workshop is amazing. It is incredible that in just half an hour the children are playing such amazing music.”

“I am taking away two good things – my daughter and son have learnt something new and something that unites them,” he added.

Ten-year-old Tirkey Abdulla from Dubai said, “I loved beating on the drums. I cannot believe it that just by placing my hands in different manners I can make so much music. I really loved it. I will keep coming here.”

H. B. Leisure, DWTC, Coco-Cola, Magic Planet, Emirates, Masafi and Union Co-operative are the sponsor s of Modhesh World. Modhesh World doors are open from 10.00am to 10:00pm (Saturday to Wednesday), 10:00am to midnight (Thursdays), and 3:00pm to midnight on Fridays. Tickets to the venue are priced at AED 10 for adults and AED 15 for children with numerous free zones and exciting activities.
 

African Children’s Choir To Bring The Voice Of Africa To Dubai This DSS In Its First Show In The Middle East

The African Children’s Choir, an ambassador for Africa’s neediest, most vulnerable children, will perform in Dubai for the first time in the Middle East this DSS from July 21 to August 3. The Choir shows the world that its members, like the millions of abandoned and traumatized children in Africa, have beauty, dignity and unlimited potential. The first show will be held in Dubai Festival City, a key sponsor of DSS 2009, on July 21 and July 22 at 6pm, 7:30pm, and 9pm.

In 1984, in the midst of Uganda’s civil war, human rights activist Ray Barnett was called on to help the many thousands of orphaned and starving children, abandoned and helpless to feed and protect themselves. Realizing the enormity of the task Ray and his team came up with a unique approach. The only way to make a meaningful difference was to impact the lives of these children, one child at a time.

"Inspired by the singing of one small boy, we formed the first African Children’s Choir to show the world that Africa’s most vulnerable children have beauty, dignity and unlimited ability,” said Ray.

Laila Suhail, Chief Executive Officer of DSF Office said, “We are delighted to bring the African Children’s Choir to Dubai Summer Surprises as the values that the group espouses are those that Dubai Summer Surprises supports and encourages. This unique choir will not only entertain visitors this DSS but put forth a clear message to audiences.”

To date over seven hundred vulnerable children have been through the Choir program and the funds they have generated have provided the opportunity of education and hope for many thousands like them in some of the most desperate and needy areas of Africa.

Choir Training
Children selected to tour spend approximately five months at the Choir Training Academy in Kampala, Uganda. Here the children learn the songs and dances, attend school, play and attend Sunday School at a local church.

It is at the Choir Training Academy where the real life-changing work of the African Children’s Choir™ can be seen. The children’s personalities and talents emerge like never before as they settle into their new routine with the knowledge that they are loved and cared for.

As they come from some of the most needy families, the African Children’s Choir™ is committed to helping Choir children physically, spiritually, emotionally and academically, giving each child an opportunity to reach their potential. After returning to Africa, the African Children’s Choir™ provides care and education that builds on the unique international exposure the children experienced abroad. The children receive a quality education, leadership training and spiritual ministry at the Music for Life Primary School in Kampala, or at other well-equipped schools in their respective countries.

The African Children’s Choir™ will perform in Arabian Centre on July 23 and 24, at Modhesh World on July 25 and 26, Deira City Centre on July 27 and 28, The Dubai Mall on July 29 and 30, Dubai Marina Mall on July 31 and Aug 1, and Mercato on Aug 2 and Aug 3.

Show timings are 6:00pm / 07:30pm / 09:00pm from Saturdays to Wednesday, and 06:30pm / 08:00pm / 09:30pm on Thursday and Fridays.