April 30th, UNESCO International Jazz Day! Let there be music in your life!

Among Armada traditions Jazz has a special place. Below are some jazz masters who had  concerts at the Armada Hotel in the then “Radio Bar” and some of our Jazz Events:

• Sylvie Cobo - Emanuel de Bonneville, “La Baronne”, Concert Series at the Radio Bar, 1995-1998
• Judy & Jacky Duo Concert Series at the Radio Bar, 2002
• Bilal Karaman, “Turkish Jazz Feast”, Valentine’s Day 2012, Armada Terrace
• Dolunay Obruk - Ercüment Dolunay Jazz Duo,  Armada Terrace, 2010
• Emin Fındıkoğlu Trio “Love and Jazz at the Breakfast”, Valentine’s Day 2010, Armada Terrace
• Baki Duyarlar, City of Hotels gala Jazz Piano, Armada Salon
• Stephan Micus, Festival guest, 2008
• “Monofiks”, “Ricky Ford” (Bilgi University Jazz Groups), On Cue Trio (Galatasaray University Jazz Group), Street Concerts, Sultanahmet Square, 2005
• Sunny Murray, Solo Jazz Concerts, Armada Terrace, 2000
• Alain Buisson - Mathieu Leygonie, “Premier Symptome”, Concert Series, Radio Bar, 1997
• Beth Marie, Emin Fındıkoğlu, “Ballads & Blues”, Concert, Radio Bar, 2014
• Bora Çeliker Trio, Jazz Nights at the Radio Bar, 2015
• Batu Akyol, Director, “Jazz in Turkey” (*) –Private Showing of the Documentary , 2013

(*) In the Honor of UNESCO International Jazz Day, the award winning documentary “Jazz in Turkey’”will be shown in every room of Armada Hotel during the last week of April.

Happy World Dance Day!

Armada celebrates the World Dance Day, April 29, 2015!
Here is the 2015 official message written by Alkis Raftis:

Alkis Raftis

A century ago famous Russian organizer Sergei Diaghilev revolutionized ballet by inviting the most talented painters and musicians of his time to contribute to his performances. I have the impression that present day choreographers neglect the other arts, do not feel the need to present their creations alongside their equals in other fields.

   I am sure audiences would appreciate more arts included in dance performances, starting with the classical arts: painting, sculpture, theater, music, poetry, architecture, as well as more modern forms like photography, cinema, multimedia, lighting design, sound design. Let me go further in proposing to enrich choreography with the humanities (history, literature, philosophy and linguistics). Personally I would particularly enjoy storytelling, martial arts, and - I mean it very seriously - culinary arts.

    There is nothing new to it, ancient Greeks in their symposia combined all the above. After 25 centuries we could return to the idea that a complete performance combines as many arts as possible.

    This year the International Dance Council CID joins forces with a sister organization to celebrate Dance Day. The International Association of Art IAA/AIAP is a non-governmental organization whose offices are next to ours at UNESCO. Our common proposal is to combine dance with painting, drawing, sculpture or other forms of creative work in the visual arts.

    Many thanks to Ms. Rosa-Maria Burillo from Mexico, World President of IAA/AIAP, who mobilized artists from dozens of countries suggesting they cooperate with choreographers, dancers and dance teachers in common events: performances, exhibitions, happenings, flashmobs, worship meetings, therapeutic sessions and (why not?) banquets!

Alkis Raftis

President of the International Dance Council CID

UNESCO, Paris