Michael Kaeshammer: Brightening up the Blues

A sleek black Yamaha grand piano is positioned in the centre of Michael Kaeshammer’s Toronto loft: a fitting location for a young man who has built his life around this musical instrument. “I’ve never had a different job in my life,” says Kaeshammer, who is set to debut his seventh album Kaeshammer in April 2011.

“My dad was a huge jazz fan and when I was a kid that’s all I knew … without him I wouldn’t be playing the piano.”

The charismatic pianist ended last year successfully. He performed with sultry vibrato Jill Barber, and was the under card in Anne Murray’s tour across Canada last year. “I was so impressed that [Murray] would go out and have so much fun performing and it was all sincere.” Read more

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

From June 11th to July 11th, 2010, the world will come to a standstill – or at least a ‘sit-still’ – as arguably the world’s greatest sporting event takes place. The FIFA World Cup is a sporting spectacle that transcends age, economic class, social status and even religion. This year, more than 30 billion viewers are expected take in the 64 matches worldwide; this is an incredibly large number given that the global population is around the seven billion mark. In comparison, the Vancouver Olympics drew an audience of 3.5 billion viewers. This kind of audience means huge revenues and huge expenses. South Africa has 10 world class stadiums to host the matches, ranging from seaside stadiums to venues that are at such high altitude that some countries have been forced to train in parallel conditions in order to acclimatize. Five of the stadiums are new or re-built and the other five have had major renovations to ensure the highest standards for the world’s biggest stage. All of this comes at a cost Read more

Il Cavallino Ristorante: Serving up Gourmet Tradition

Stepping through a doorway to visit a piece of Italy is not usually the case, but the experience is more than possible at Il Cavallino Ristorante. A place where visitors truly discover cultured cuisine; the establishment has been nourished for over 19 years with a long line of European experience. “I had a place in Toronto for 12 years, after working in Switzerland, Germany, and France, says owner Franco Poletti. “I always worked in the hospitality and hotel industry.” Growing up in the restaurant business, Poletti has been surrounded by food his entire life, which is the reason why he knows how to please the palate. Read more