http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com Welcome to our new weblog. On this site you will find an archive of articles and information, as well as news and feedback on a broad spectrum of topics. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:59:27 +0000 en hourly 1 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/art/sax-and-art/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sax-and-art http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/art/sax-and-art/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:10:23 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/?p=880 Taoufiq Hsaine is the kind of person you immediately both like and are extremely envious of; a fascinating, resonant and talented man who gives the impression of fitting more into every minute than most achieve in a whole lifetime. As lead tenor saxophonist, his dulcet timbres graced the ears of Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana – amongst others – before Taoufiq set off in his trusty VW to explore the musical landscape of Europe. His journey took him to Venice, Paris, Salzburg and Prague, but it was Krakow, Poland, that had the greatest effect on him. “I met a wonderful 80-year-old man, a friend of Pope John Paul II. He was so passionate and he encouraged me to start painting. I did; he bought my first painting and now painting is my life,” he says. ]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/art/sax-and-art/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/social-issues/claudio-caniggia-coaches-costa-del-sol-kids/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=claudio-caniggia-coaches-costa-del-sol-kids http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/social-issues/claudio-caniggia-coaches-costa-del-sol-kids/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:20:45 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/?p=845 Argentinean football great, Claudio Caniggia, has lent more than just his name to an initiative to bring the fun, exercise and discipline of football to a broad cross-section of the Costa del Sol’s youth. His Master Class football clinics, organised together with promotions specialist Rami Morante, are a non-profit initiative aimed at broadening the scope and involving youngsters who may otherwise not be able to attend football coaching schools of this kind. By offering their services for free and working closely with the Estepona Town Hall, who provide the fine facilities of the Estadio Municipal Francisco Muñoz Pérez, Claudio and his team are able to charge just 20 euros per child, and the result is that his heavily subscribed Master Classes are attended by a delightful mix of children from a wide variety of nationalities and socio-economic backgrounds. In giving of their time and passion so generously, Claudio Caniggia, Rami Morante and the others are spearheading a social collaboration with the broader community that they would like to see evolve into an ongoing project with a more profound impact. ]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/social-issues/claudio-caniggia-coaches-costa-del-sol-kids/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/interviews/the-obauer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-obauer http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/interviews/the-obauer/#comments Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:29:07 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/?p=823 Tucked into the verdant Salzach Valley, not far from Salzburg, is the pretty alpine village of Werfen. A fairytale town in a fairytale setting, it wouldn’t be complete without the impressive Hohenwerfen Castle that overlooks it from an imposing position. From here, you survey an alpine wonderland of pastures and forest that is transformed into white finery in winter. Other attractions of the area include the Eisriesenwelt – the world’s largest ice cave – and the Obauer, a celebrated two-Michelin Star restaurant that draws visitors from across Austria, and indeed far beyond it. ]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/interviews/the-obauer/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/kamini-ezralow-interiors-of-good-character-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kamini-ezralow-interiors-of-good-character-2 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/kamini-ezralow-interiors-of-good-character-2/#comments Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:52:03 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/?p=796 As the driving force behind Chelsea-based interior designers, Intarya, Kamini Ezralow is something of an expert in undertaking jobs for London’s most discerning clientele. Formerly known as Lifestyles (interiors) Intarya combines the shortened form of ‘international’ and ‘interiors’, while ‘arya’ is a Buddhist term for someone who respects good character. Ezralow’s projects have included overseeing makeovers of expansive private residences, as well as major commercial projects, including highly prestigious commissions such as the penthouses in Dubai’s World Trade Centre. Intarya’s design of Celestial Hope (a mega-yacht) won prizes at the Monaco Boat Show. ]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/kamini-ezralow-interiors-of-good-character-2/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/the-culinary-wanderings-of-markus-glocker/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-culinary-wanderings-of-markus-glocker http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/the-culinary-wanderings-of-markus-glocker/#comments Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:17:02 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/?p=634 Austrian-born Markus Glocker is a young chef making a name for himself in the increasingly international world of top cuisine. Having trained under and worked with some of the great names in the business this two-Michelin star chef continues a fine Austrian tradition of producing top gastronomic talent. Glocker currently stars as Chef de Cuisine for Gordon Ramsey at The London, New York.]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/the-culinary-wanderings-of-markus-glocker/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/james-hewitt-and-the-polo-house-marbella/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=james-hewitt-and-the-polo-house-marbella http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/james-hewitt-and-the-polo-house-marbella/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:26:56 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/?p=599 Beleaguered by paparazzi, James Hewitt left London in search of peace and pastures new. He chose Marbella as his new abode and has since created a touch of stylish London along the famous Golden Mile. Standing prominently among the trendy new-style eateries and nightspots of Marbella’s Golden Mile is the Polo House, an exclusive restaurant and bar with a distinctly British club atmosphere. By this I don’t mean nightclub, but gentleman’s club, for the Polo House harnesses the finest of English traits to evoke a sophisticated, elegant and almost colonial ambience. Here, classic good breeding and the old-worldly refinement for which the British were once renowned still seem to hang in the air. Indeed, the Polo House has a somewhat aristocratic feel about it and the timeless décor reflects it.]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/james-hewitt-and-the-polo-house-marbella/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/art/alexander-shorokhoff-russian-culture-encapsulated-in-time/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=alexander-shorokhoff-russian-culture-encapsulated-in-time http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/art/alexander-shorokhoff-russian-culture-encapsulated-in-time/#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 14:25:57 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/?p=592 Watchmaker Alexander Shorokhoff is a man fascinated by both culture and technology. As an engineer and enthusiast of Russian tradition he is perfectly qualified to marry the best in modern precision engineering to an artistic vision laced with the distinctive touches of his motherland. The result is a remarkable collection of timepieces that are fast gaining a reputation for Russian excellence in design and jewellery. Trained as an engineer, Alexander Shorokhoff was working in Moscow when selected to become one of the first professionals invited to study abroad at a free market university. In his case, the road led to Frankfurt, where he would subsequently become involved in watch making. “It was a fascinating new experience and one I took to very naturally,” says Shorokhoff. “Even when I was studying engineering in Moscow I always had a fascination with design, geometry and architecture, so working with watches was a perfect environment for me, as it combines both the technical and the artistic sides.” ]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/art/alexander-shorokhoff-russian-culture-encapsulated-in-time/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/interviews/oyarbide-the-best-kept-secret-in-town%e2%80%a6/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=oyarbide-the-best-kept-secret-in-town%25e2%2580%25a6 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/interviews/oyarbide-the-best-kept-secret-in-town%e2%80%a6/#comments Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:52:31 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/?p=583 Seating just 24, this most elegant of restaurants offers big city sophistication and Michelin-style cuisine in an ambience of tasteful exclusivity. To walk into Oyarbide is like stepping into the home of a famous chef. In fact, it is nearer to the truth than you would imagine, for this exquisite restaurant is a project of love for renowned Basque chef Carlos Oyarbide. Having operated leading restaurants in different parts of Spain, including his signature two-Michelin star establishment in the millionaire’s suburb of Moraleja – where bankers, television stars and the likes of David Beckham were among his regular clientele – he has now settled in Marbella, seduced by the weather and lifestyle of the famous resort town. ]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/interviews/oyarbide-the-best-kept-secret-in-town%e2%80%a6/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/sports/dmitry-sychev/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dmitry-sychev http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/sports/dmitry-sychev/#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:06:48 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/?p=444 I spoke with this talented player who has been described as the ‘most exciting young Russian player since Vladimir Beschastnykh’, and found him to be a modest young man with a pleasant smile. Born in Omsk, Dmitry Sychev comes from a sporting family, his mother a track and field athlete and his father a football player and later trainer. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that Dmitry was destined to become a football star himself, though he combined this passion with ice hockey until the age of ten, when he made the decision to specialise in football. ]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/sports/dmitry-sychev/feed/ 0 http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/hugh-cornwell-strangler-return/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hugh-cornwell-strangler-return http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/hugh-cornwell-strangler-return/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:10:04 +0000 Michel Cruz http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/hugh-cornwell-strangler-return/ The man who rejected Chrissie Hynde as lead singer, gave lifts in his ice cream van to Elvis Costello and above all, co-wrote such anthems as ‘Golden Brown’, ‘No More Heroes’ and ‘Peaches’, is back. Hugh Cornwell, for years the face of The Stranglers, is hitting the charts again]]> http://michel-cruz.rimontgo.com/freelance-writing/hugh-cornwell-strangler-return/feed/ 0