Latest news with #LouisArmstrong


Time of India
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Indian man revives Louis Armstrong's spirit in Paris with surprise stage performance. Netizens say, ‘What a Wonderful World!'
When an Indian man was pulled onstage by an Australian band in Paris, no one expected magic. But as he began singing 'What a Wonderful World,' his soulful voice evoked Louis Armstrong himself, leaving the crowd in awe. The video has since gone viral, with netizens calling the moment joyful, nostalgic, and pure musical serendipity. In a heartwarming moment on the streets of Paris, Indian singer Carlton Braganza stunned a crowd by joining an Australian band to sing Louis Armstrong's 'What a Wonderful World.' With a voice strikingly similar to Armstrong's, Braganza's impromptu performance turned into a viral sensation, reminding everyone of music's power to unite beyond borders. (Screenshot: Instagram/ ) Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads An Unplanned Encore That Moved Paris Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Netizens Say, 'What a Wonderful World Indeed' In the heart of a summer evening in Paris, beneath soft lights and the casual buzz of a street performance, magic unfolded—not in fireworks or grandeur, but in the unmistakable timbre of a voice that felt like it had time-travelled straight from the soul of jazz legend Louis started with an impromptu gesture. As the Australian band Adam Hall and The Velvet Playboys entertained a lively Parisian crowd with their rendition of 'What a Wonderful World,' they turned to the audience and invited a quiet-looking Indian man onstage. No one knew what to as Carlton Braganza took the mic and sang the first note, time seemed to stand man's voice—gravelly, warm, and deeply reminiscent of Armstrong's signature growl—sent a ripple of astonishment across the crowd. The band stopped in awe for a beat. Cheers erupted. What began as a casual street gig had transformed into an unforgettable a now-viral video circulating on social media, Braganza, dressed in relaxed casuals, stands confidently under the open Parisian sky, surrounded by musicians and an enchanted audience. The Australian band follows his lead as he pours soul into every note of the timeless those unfamiliar with the name, Carlton Braganza isn't just a lucky passerby. He is an acclaimed Indian singer who rose to online fame during the COVID-19 lockdown for his soulful virtual performances from home. Braganza's initiative, Jukebox Jammies, brought solace to thousands stuck in isolation—offering nightly concerts filled with classics, banter, and even with his growing digital fan base, few could've predicted that a spontaneous moment in Paris would showcase his voice on such a global stage.'Paris is amongst my fave places in the world!' Braganza later wrote on Instagram . 'To be asked to join on that last song was special! Thank you @adamhallmusician and the velvet playboys. You guys were a vibe!'The comments on the viral video capture the sentiment that words can barely contain.'He's got the gruffy voice as Louis Armstrong🔥❤️🙌 Love!' wrote one user. 'This band genuinely was impressed! Well done, mate,' said especially from India, expressed pride: 'You're making us Indians proud.'And the one comment that echoed the moment's magic: 'What a wonderful world!'


USA Today
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Summerfest 2025: Set times, daily schedule, ticket costs, lineup
Summerfest 2025: Set times, daily schedule, ticket costs, lineup Show Caption Hide Caption Tony Awards: James Monroe Iglehart admires Louis Armstrong's legacy Broadway star James Monroe Iglehart admires Louis Armstrong's legacy and the state of Broadway this year. Live music and vibes will take over Milwaukee this week. Summerfest is here, taking place from June 19 to June 21, to kick off the first weekend of the massive event. Here's what you need to know about Summerfest, including the full lineup, set times, and ticket costs. B-52s, Devo announce tour: Dates, cities, how to get tickets Where is Summerfest? Summerfest is set in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The festival will take place on three weekends: June 19-21, June 26-28, and July 3-5. Summerfest 2025 Ticket Prices UScellular 9-Day Power Pass: $130.00 UScellular 3-Day Pass: $63.00 General Admission: $30.00 Festivalgoers must purchase separate tickets to attend the shows at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater. However, tickets to the amphitheater, which can be found on Ticketmaster, include same-day gate admission to Summerfest. Summerfest 2025 lineup Thursday, June 19: Def Leppard and Tesla are slated to headline at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater. Festival stage performers include The Isley Brothers, Gary Clark Jr., Eric Benét, Aly & AJ, Ginuwine, DJ Kenny Perez & Friends, Fabolous, Natasha Bedingfield, Bow Wow, and Mike Jones. Friday, June 20: Hozier is scheduled to perform at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, along with Gigi Perez. Other acts hitting the festival stages are George Thorogood & the Destroyers, The Head and The Heart, Dispatch, Muscadine Bloodline, Mike Posner, and Rick Springfield. Saturday, June 21: James Taylor, along with Tiny Habits and Jason Mraz, will headline at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater. Artists performing on the festival stages include Japanese Breakfast, Yung Gravy, Matt Maltese, Artemas, iann dior, Eric Bellinger, GROOVY, Billy Currington, and Lindsey Stirling. Summerfest set times A complete list of day-by-day set times can be found on Summerfest's website or in an Instagram post below: Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@


Forbes
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
At Copenhagen's New Epicurus, Fine Dining Meets Subterranean Jazz
A rendering of the jazz club It wasn't the legendary jazz clubs of New York, Chicago or New Orleans that inspired Epicurus—an audacious new fine dining and subterranean jazz club hybrid in Copenhagen—so much as those in Tokyo. The Japanese version, says Niels Lan Doky, a partner in the Danish venture, combines the improvisational music with a rigorous attention to aesthetic detail. Doky knows what he's talking about. He's one of the most esteemed jazz pianists of his generation, having performed on stages from Carnegie Hall to the Royal Albert Hall and collaborated with legends such as Pat Metheny and Michael Brecker. He's also proudly knowledgeable about the deep history of jazz in Copenhagen, especially in the 1950s and '60s. That's when American legends like Louis Armstrong, Stan Getz and Dexter Gorden decamped to Denmark and give the capital one of the most flourishing jazz scenes in the world. Doky, who was knighted by HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark for his musical contributions, is the musical director of Epicurus, which opened in April. He often takes the stage himself, and he plans to continue doing so, behind the brand-new, state-of-the-art Bösendorfer 230 Vienna Concert piano that he picked out himself from the instrument maker's factory in Austria. But it's never about him. Nor is it only about any other artist who takes the stage. Niels Lan Doky at the piano As musical director, Doky likens his approach to that of a director of a classical or opera venue, who would devote a season or cycle to Bach, say, or Verdi or Wagner. The performers are world-class, but the repertoire is what Epicurus is selling. The residencies last a few weeks, long enough for word of mouth to spread. Last month, Camille Sledge paid delightful tribute to Aretha Franklin. Word spread—she had a room full of otherwise restrained Danes dancing in the aisles by the end of at least one evening. Or as Doky puts it, 'Everything I've ever done in my career as a musician has always been to try to bridge the gap between, what shall we call it, deep artistic substance and accessibility—a broad appeal.' The other things that Epicurus is selling are equally substantive and appealing. The subterranean concert hall has superb sound and aesthetics—the work of the Italian-Danish duo GramFratesi, who drew inspiration from Epicurean philosophy, ancient Greece and the history of artistic expression through the ages—and it's arranged with great precision and attention to detail. The spacing between the café tables is just so, the plush chairs are comfortable, and the lighting is perfect. The jazz club before a performance The drinks are likewise well thought out. The price of admission buys seats for the concert and a flight of drinks—sparkling wine followed by a choice of wines, cocktails or non-alcoholic concoctions. The bar is curated by Epicurus partner Rasmus Shepherd-Longberg, one of Denmark's foremost cocktail entrepreneurs (owner of Ruby, which has been among the World's 50 Best Bars six times), and Michael Hajiyianni, the former head bartender of the famously creative restaurant Alchemist. An original painting by Miles Davis—the only one on display on Danish soil—hangs at the entrance to the combined Epicurus space, a welcome beacon for downstairs concertgoers, upstairs diners and the fullest 'Epicureans,' who buy the combined tickets for the culinary pleasures followed by the musical ones below. During his comeback in 1981, Davis gave the painting to Bill Evans, who has now loaned it to his longtime collaborator Doky as a gesture of friendship and faith in the Epicurus vision. He has reason for that faith: Epicurus's other partners are Lars Seier Christensen, the Danish entrepreneur and investor behind the country's first Michelin three-star restaurant, Geranium (as well as the two-star Alchemist), and Mads Bøttger, the owner of Dragsholm Castle and its one-star restaurant. They clearly know how to nurture fine dining talent, and they know how to stand out in a city that's awash in creative dining. Scallops with kale, watermelon radishes and caviar And here they know how to make the meal one pillar of a harmonious, well-balanced evening out. While it's a truism that elite gastronomy has become its become its own kind of theater, with dinners running to 30 elaborate courses and stretching five or six hours, the restaurant portion of Epicurus isn't that. The menu, which was devised by head chef Oliver Bergholt, a veteran of other popular projects around town, is a compact six courses. It can be completed in less than two hours. (There's also an à la carte menu for guests who only want to dine.) There's minimal theatricality, but plenty of quality and pleasure. There are also some parallels with jazz music, like collaboration, harmonization and improvisation around seasonal ingredients. The dishes change, of course, but they include the likes of smoked salmon trout wrapped in shiso leaves; lightly seared scallops with curly kale, watermelon radishes and a dollop of caviar; grilled venison with parsnips and green asparagus; and a summer salad with whitefish roe and 'grandma dressing.' Servers explain this last ingredient to their foreign guests: It's a classic comfort food that nearly everyone in Copenhagen seems to have grown up with, a mixture of lemon, sugar, vinegar, cream and dill. It's humble but high quality, and here it's a reminder. Even with all its Japanese, American and otherwise global influences, Epicurus retains a distinctively Scandinavian soul.


The Courier
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
23 photos of Dundee firefighters include heroes fighting city's biggest blazes
These archive images show Dundee firefighters in the 1980s and 1990s. They show crews battling some of the city's most memorable blazes. These included the 1980 Palais dance hall fire and the £6.4m blaze that reduced the Ashton Works jute mill to a smouldering shell in 1983. The faces of those who fight the flames are also shown. There are pictures of the crew in full uniform and raising money for charity. Enjoy having another browse back through the ages courtesy of The Dundonian, which appears in the Evening Telegraph every Wednesday. Some of these images have not been seen for years. Will they awaken any memories for you? The Palais in South Tay Street opened in 1928 and hosted acts over the decades such as Louis Armstrong, David Bowie and the Bee Gees. It ceased to be the Palais in October 1976 and became Samantha's disco. The blaze on February 20 1980 was known as the day the music died and the iconic entrance of the former ballroom is now all that's left of the old Palais. A mass meeting at Blackness Road Fire Station in November 1980. Over 270 members of the Tayside branch of the Fire Brigade Union attended and overwhelmingly supported industrial action in a national dispute over pay. The fire service workers voted to handle emergency calls only. Flames and thick smoke trapped 15 tenants as 30 firefighters battled to contain a blaze at the multi-storey block at Butterburn Court in March 1983. Some were hanging from the top windows, calling for help and waving blankets. Firefighters fought for more than an hour to bring the blaze under control. Firefighters at work on the roof of a lab in the University of Dundee after a fire. The incident happened in April 1983. Ashton Works was destroyed following a devastating fire in September 1983 that caused the equivalent of £6.4m of damage in today's money. More than 60 firefighters battled for more than three hours to contain the blaze. A German-registered coaster, the Sabine, collided with the Tay Road Bridge in heavy rain and fog in October 1984. Firefighters were at Dundee docks after the vessel returned to the harbour. The Fountain Disco in Brown Street offered Dundee clubbers cheap drinks, pounding chart music and the best light show in Scotland. Tragedy struck on June 25 1985 when fire ripped through the upper floor and completely destroyed the roof. It reopened in April 1986 following repairs and improvements. Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus during an exercise in July 1985. Sets are carried on all frontline fire engines. Firefighters attending a tanker fuel leak on the Kingsway in August 1995. A firefighter does more than put out fires. A firefighter also helps with hazardous materials and road traffic accidents. A firefighter being sprayed with water to decontaminate following a disaster simulation exercise at Dundee Airport in October 1989. The full-scale emergency response was scrambled following a mock crash between two light aircraft that left nine people 'killed' and 17 with 'serious injuries'. Exercises of this sort became an annual event. A mock fire exercise at the Wellgate Centre in November 1989. Dummies were used and the aim of the simulation was to test the ability of firefighters wearing breathing apparatus to penetrate deep into the burning area Ian Johnston and Morris Anderson undertaking a training drill with a hose in February 1991 at the Macalpine Road Fire Station. The station opened in November 1990. The new building replaced the Northern Fire Station at Strathmore Avenue. Long service awards recipients at Blackness Road Station in February 1991. The Long Service and Good Conduct Medal is awarded under Royal Warrant to full time, retained and volunteer staff who have completed 20 years' service. A simulated rail crash between a passenger train and chemical-carrying tanker was staged at the northern approach to the Tay Rail Bridge in September 1991. A ScotRail carriage was derailed to add realism. The simulated crash resulted in 10 fatalities, which were all dummies. Blue Iris was the first large-scale civil emergency exercise to be carried out in Tayside since town and village were lumped together under regionalisation in 1975. Part of the exercise involved the simulated evacuation of 160 nearby residents whose homes were affected by toxic fumes from the rail tanker. National Fire Safety Week arrived in the Murraygate in October 1991. Firefighters were spreading the message outside a portable fire safety awareness unit. Senior officers getting in some practise at Macalpine Road Fire Station in August 1993. They were getting ready to pull a 10-ton fire engine 100 metres in as short a time as possible to raise money for the Ninewells Cancer Research Appeal. Station Officer Jim Pearson retired from MacAlpine Road in May 1994. He received a crystal figurine from Divisional Officer Alexander MacPherson. Remember the Zapp Zone at the Megabowl in Lochee? Firefighters were showing off how a thermal imaging camera works in June 1994. A new helmet was introduced in Tayside featuring a visor. Bruce Henderson and Fraser Cochrane were comparing the old and new helmet at Blackness Road Fire Station in September 1995. Bruce, at the back, was modelling the new version. Forty firefighters with eight appliances were involved in Exercise Grandstand at Dundee United's Tannadice Park home ground in August 1996. The mock test was to keep them up to scratch on dealing with incidents at stadia. A new Comet store opened at the Milton of Craigie retail park in November 1999. The previous store suffered £200,000 of damage in an extensive fire in February with 35 firefighters involved in the emergency operation. The new store was opened by Fireman Sam and his Dundee colleagues. It's the final image in our gallery of Dundee firefighters. Did you recognise anyone? Let us know.

The Age
28-05-2025
- The Age
Twenty things that will surprise first-time visitors to Bangkok
The west bank of the river was home to the first European settlers in Siam (as Thailand was then known), 16th-century Portuguese traders, missionaries and mercenaries. Kudichin, also known as Kudijeen, consists of narrow lanes (or soi) and old teak houses, including the ancestral Baan Kudichin Museum. The domed 1770 Santa Cruz Church and nearby Wat Prayurawongsawat ('Turtle Mountain Temple') with its hollow, 60-metre stupa are open to visitors. And look for the small family bakeries that sell the European-inspired tart called khanom farang ('foreigner cake'). See There are cannabis shops everywhere In 2022 Thailand surprised the world, and itself, by radically loosening its previously strict marijuana laws. Cannabis-based products, supposedly for 'medical use only', were soon on sale across the kingdom in glitzy shops, kerbside vans and street stalls. A new conservative government now hopes, belatedly, to legislate the billion-dollar genie back into its bottle. Whatever the outcome and your herbal inclinations, don't even think about exporting anything. It's home to the world's largest outdoor shopping mall Chatuchak Weekend Market is the world's largest, busiest, noisiest and allegedly best-bargain marketplace of all. Catch the SkyTrain north to Mo Chit to find this Mecca for impulse purchasers. With more than 15,000 stalls covering 14 hectares and selling everything from jewels, curios and pets to amulets and electronics, you'll need extra bags to lug home the loot. It's always a long weekend at Chatuchak, which trades full-tilt from Wednesday to Sunday. See History lives in the side streets The dowager Atlanta Hotel sits amid its considerable memories down Soi 2 Sukhumvit Road. The classic Bauhaus-deco lobby is unchanged from the 1950s, when this was the place to dine in Bangkok. A 1962 photograph shows the young King Rama IX playing saxophone there with Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman. The menu in the hotel's original LA-style diner declares: 'Typically, the Atlanta is not moving with the times.' See Hotel California isn't played here Forget the chrome pole clubs or beer bars still playing The Eagles, Bangkok has plenty of cool musical watering holes. The Saxophone Jazz and Blues Pub at the Victory Monument has delivered live Thai-Latino-whatever jazz, good drinks and great atmosphere with no cover charge or go-go dancers since 1987 ( Meanwhile, upmarket and down by the river, the Mandarin Oriental's elegant Bamboo Bar stirs smoky jazz into your late-night cocktail musings ( Something similar happens high above the river at the Millennium Hilton's ThreeSixty Bar. See A street corner named devotion Erawan Shrine in front of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel is renowned as Bangkok's most wish-fulfilling shrine. Day and night, Thais from all walks of life make offerings before its centrepiece, a four-faced golden Brahma statue. They pray for wealth, health, education or business success, or give thanks for prayers answered. Traditional dancers often perform here. Visitors welcome, respectful photography appreciated. See The world's most beautiful boatshed The National Museum of Royal Barges, the most beautiful boatshed in the world, houses the Crown's fleet of gilded, ceremonial vessels. These works of art with swan-necked prows and mythological figureheads glide out on rare occasions for the extraordinary Royal Barge Procession, when they parade, rowed by chanting sailors, past the Grand Palace and its dreaming spires. The barge museum, on the west bank in Bangkok Noi, displays these intricate vessels. Watch as artisans maintain them. See It's still a backpacker mecca Khao San Road, unofficial world backpacker HQ, gained fame last century with Alex Garland's novel (and subsequent Hollywood movie) The Beach. 'The main function for the street was as a decompression chamber … a halfway house between East and West,' he wrote. It still is. KSR endures, with the dreads-and-tatts crew sharing space with flashpackers and selfie-obsessives. By night the street is closed to traffic and becomes a free-range party zone. Explore it for music in clubs like Brick Bar. Above all, decompress. See The nicknames are delightful Don't be surprise to meet, for instance, a woman called Pla (meaning Fish) or another named Porn. Because formal Thai names can seem as long as a stretch limo, many Thais adopt a short, convenient nickname. Foreigners will be surprised to meet someone called Poo (Crab), Meaw (Cat), Moo (Pig) or Gai (Chicken). As for Porn, forget any preconceptions; it's an auspicious name, meaning blessing or grace. Thais sometimes translate their nicknames into English and you might find yourself chatting with Glass (Kaew), Smile (Yim) or Snack (Khanom), or perhaps plain Pop (as in music). It's easy to get high, literally The Great City of Angels lets you brush wings with its namesake celestial spirits via its rooftop bars. From up there you can muse, cocktail in hand, on the glittering street circuitry below or the looping calligraphy of the river as it signs off on its long run to the sea. In this city without hills, vertigo is a rare sensation, except at the MahaNakhon skyscraper. As Thailand's tallest building it trumps the skybars with its 78th-floor skywalk, the city's highest public point. Defy your survival instincts by stepping out onto its glass deck and then looking 310 vertiginous metres down to the toy town cars below. See Tuk-tuks are for tourists (and more expensive than taxis) Probably, yes. The iconic tuk-tuk (proper name samlor, 'three-wheel') functions today mostly as a tourist rattle-trap. They're unmetered, wind-in-your-hair fun, for sure. A first-time hoot. Until the end of the trip when, if you didn't first agree on the fare, the driver is charging you whatever he likes. For farang (foreigners), they're usually more expensive than a metered taxi. Go local, live like a Thai, catch the SkyTrain, Metro or ferry – all faster and cheaper than a tuk-tuk, even if less Insta fun. Thailand didn't invent massage, but perfected it Skip the fluffy rub-downs and five-orchid spa sessions. Try the real thing, where many Thai therapists learn their basics, at Wat Pho temple's 70-year-old Thai Traditional Massage School. Massage as developed here is included on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. For $20, a skilled trainee will turn your shoulder knots to noodles during an hour of pummelling, prodding and stretching. While you're at Wat Pho, visit its famous, 46-metre long, gold-plated Reclining Buddha. It has the world's wettest new year celebration Songkran, the world's wettest new year. Thailand's traditional new year falls in mid-April. Once the first jet of water hits your neck, things can descend into days of being drenched anytime you set foot outside. As a farang, you are an affectionate 'mark', so don't hit the streets wearing or carrying anything you can't afford to have soaked. You've stepped into the middle of the world's biggest water fight. Should you become a target, don't bother to plead: you're painting an even bigger bull's eye on yourself. Often the most indiscriminate water-bombers are inebriated, newbie tourists trying to 'go local'. The river commute is a fast and furious ride Khlong Saen Saep, built between 1837 and 1840, snakes its way through the city. Hop aboard a rocket and see how some Bangkokians get to the office. The skinny, 15-metre-long, 50-seat canal ferries rip along the muddy waters, making Formula One-speed pit stops at the khlong's 18 wharves. Leap – almost literally – on and off whenever you dare. A conductor collects fares as the projectile travels the 18-kilometre route. Blasting past temples and shacks, mansions and malls, it's your cheap-as-chips tour of the real Bangkok's backdoors. See The Risky Market is called 'risky' for good reason Talat Rhom Hoop – literally 'Closing Umbrella Market' – sounds curious enough, but its English name is more ominous – The Risky Market. You look up to see why: a locomotive is bearing down on you amid the market stalls. Their trackside awnings suddenly retract. You press yourself against a wall, flat as a Peking duck, with the train rumbling by, inches away. The fishing port of Samut Songkhram, also known as Mae Khlong, 80 kilometres south-west of Bangkok, is home to this death-defying shopping excursion and its 33-kilometre Mae Khlong-Mahachai railway, the shortest line in Thailand. See One of the world's longest roads runs through it Loading Hail a taxi on Sukhumvit and say: 'To the end of the road, please.' Four hundred and ninety kilometres later you'll be at Cambodia. Thanon Sukhumvit, Bangkok's boulevard of dreams and schemes, is not only the country's longest thoroughfare but one of the world's longest main roads. Until the mid-1960s, rice paddies and aristocratic estates bordered it. Novelist and composer S.P. Somtow recalled his family enclave there as 'our remote little island kingdom on Sukhumvit Road'. The rip-roaring progress monster that ate old Bangkok soon consumed the agriculture and enchantment alike. It's home to the world's narrowest Chinatown alley Bangkok is said to be home to the largest diaspora Chinatown in the world. Which might make Soi Itsara Nuphap, between Yaowarat and Charoen Krung roads, the skinniest Chinatown alley of almost anywhere. Inch your way along as it pinches down to a two-metre-wide crush of food stalls, handcarts, shoppers, monks, motorbike delivery drivers, grandmothers, schoolkids and bargain hunters. Ten minutes later you pop out at the other end, having sampled a parallel Thai-Chinese universe at very close quarters. Celebrate with a pickled egg. Watch your wallet. See