The 'Christmas Jazz' Festival
Christmas is fast approaching: and it is not only the carols and the decorated Christmas trees all around us that make us aware of this, but also the events of the international musical scene. This year's edition of the Festival 'Christmas Jazz' offered, in six Estonian cities, twenty concerts from November 24th to December 10th. Many well-known jazz performers- from Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany and the USA- gave concerts at theatre and concert halls, clubs and even churches- among them, the flamenco artist Ana Salazar, the French vocal group Voice Messengers, the Polish percussionist Bodek Janke and the Norwegian pianist Bugge Wesseltoft, who is known in his homeland as the creator of an original concept of jazz.
Jens Christian Bugge Wesseltoft was born on February 1st, 1964 and he is one of the most famous jazz performers in Norway. Being a pianist, a composer and a music producer, in the early 90's Bugge Wesseltoft made a transition to 'future jazz', also known as 'nu jazz'- which integrates into jazz both free improvisation and elements from music genres such as funk, soul and electronic music. From 1997 to 2004 the Northern musician released a series of five albums called 'New Conception of Jazz', and his latest discographic project was the record entitled 'Playing', in 2009. Among Bugge Wesseltoft's most significant collaborations is the one with his compatriot, the famous saxophonist Jan Garbarek. On the stage of the 'Christmas Jazz 2011' festival, the musical programme of the Norwegian artist included Christmas songs, interpreted in a jazz manner.

Christmas with Los Romeros
The record company Deutsche Grammophon is celebrating this Christmas with Los Romeros. Also known as the 'royal family of the guitar' due to more the fifty years on stage, the quartet usually gives concerts at European Royal Courts and at the Vatican. 'Christmas with Los Romeros' is the title of the album released by the Deutsche Grammophon on November 4th which required the collaboration of the four guitarists with the 'Concerto Malaga' Orchestra and the conductor Massimo Paris. The album is the result of the guitarists' desire to collaborate with the conductor, but also with the 'Concerto Malaga' Orchestra, and the repertoire includes, according to them, the music they play at home, when they get together every Christmas. The record - which lasts less than an hour - contains versions of some international songs, such as Silent Night, The Drummer Boy, We wish you a Merry Christmas, but also selections of famous works from classical music: Ave Maria by Franz Schubert and the oratorio Messias by Georg Friedrich Handel- their interpretation by Los Romeros lend these musical pieces a... Renaissance air.

A new film production dedicated to Christmas
A cinematographic surprise is in store for those who do not believe in Santa Claus, but especially for those who do believe. 'Arthur Christmas' is the most recent production dedicated to Christmas- a 3D British American animation movie which has already been released- on November 11th in the UK and on November 23th in the USA. The story of Arthur Christmas begins with the very family of the real Santa Claus, Arthur being Santa's youngest son. He will have the mission to deliver the desired presents to the little girl named Gwen, the only child that Santa had forgotten about on Christmas Eve.
The cast reunites the actors James McAvoy and Hugh Laurie, among others. The plot begins at the North Pole, but Arthur will end up wandering through other distant corners of the world, including Cuba. In order to accomplish his mission, Santa's son gives up his equipment, which proves to be sophisticated but insufficiently fast, and prefers Santa's sleigh, to which he harnesses Santa's reindeer- Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, and Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer. This year, Santa Claus' name is Arthur, and he is definitely coming to town!