Next group and private Spanish lessons in September 2008

Fall 2008 Spanish group lessons:

Introduction to Spanish (for absolute beginners)

6-week course; Tuesdays 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, starting September 16th, 2008

Instructor: Ron Chavez

Location: North Woodside Community Centre, 230 Pleasant St. Dartmouth.

Sign Up Now!

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Spanish (conversation I)

6-week course; Wednesdays 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, starting September 17th, 2008

Instructor: Ron Chavez

Location: North Woodside Community Centre, 230 Pleasant St. Dartmouth.

Sign Up Now!

How to get to the Community Centre?

View Larger Map

Public Event

winter was a $%^* - have all a nice summer FELIZ VERANO 2008

Muchas gracias a todos por haber tenido la paciencia de aguantarme como su instructor / facilitador de español.

I enjoyed a lot working with all of you and I wish you, your family and friends a great summer.

Please come back to visit my blog I will keep adding resources to practice and learn more Spanish. I will also post here the new dates and times for summer lessons, and reunions for winter students.

If you are traveling south soon, don't forget your bloqueador solar y los lentes para el sol, and of course, practice, practice as much as you can your Spanish, if not sure how to say something just remember the survival phrases - including COMO SE DICE? ;-)

Hasta pronto amigos!

Ron Chavez

Learn Spanish - Adjectives, Pronouns (free resources)

Want to shape the future of Nova Scotia’s forests?

Public Consultations on Nova Scotia’s Forests

Concerned about clearcutting? Worried about the forest industry? Want to shape the future of Nova Scotia’s forests?

Public consultations on our forests are starting soon. Voluntary Planning, an arms-length agency of the Nova Scotia government, will be traveling the province to document Nova Scotians’ concerns and values on the future of FORESTS, MINING, PARKS and BIODIVERSITY.

This is the time to speak up about our forests and forest industry. These consultations will help shape the government’s new Natural Resources Strategy. See www.gov.ns.ca/vp and follow the link to Natural Resources to learn about the process. Consultations will take place from May 12^th to June 12^th throughout Nova Scotia.

What’s at Stake? Our Forest and Forest Economy

Because of heavy cutting and land clearing over many decades, Nova Scotia’s native, unique Acadian Forest is threatened. Our forest is degraded and the forestry industry is struggling. Mills are closing, forestry jobs are declining, the tourism industry is negatively affected and our forest is increasingly vulnerable to climate change.

With progressive forest policy, however, we can promote a naturally diverse forest that provides wildlife habitat, clean water, a place to appreciate nature, and high-quality timber. With sensible management, we can promote a forest industry based on value-added manufacturing, providing diverse and stable employment. With intelligent fore-sight, we can best meet the challenges climate change will bring to our forest.

What to Do? Have your say and help spread the word!

P Participate in the Voluntary Planning consultations and encourage your friends and family to do the same: attend the consultations or submit your thoughts in writing

Ø Visit our website and join the Forest Alert email list for updates: www.novascotiaforests.ca.

Ø Volunteer your time – contact us to find out how: (902) 429-1335 or forests@ecologyaction.ca.

Spanish Lessons - Beginners I - April 2, 2008

hola

Are you planning to travel to Latin America?

Would you like to learn survival Spanish for travelers?

An introduction to Spanish. The foundation! Including: pronunciation, greetings, asking for information, numbers, colours, basic / survival vocabulary. Plus: days of the week, months of the year, time; directions, prepositions, important verbs, sentence structure, short dialogues, all present tense.

This group class includes six lessons (1.5 hour each). We will learn and practice in class useful phrases and vocabulary for the following scenarios:

• Meeting a new friend
• Latin American holiday destinations
• A visit to the public market
• Ordering at the restaurant
• At the hotel
• At the beach?

When: Lessons start April 2, 2008 / 6 weeks
Instructor: Ron Chavez
Location: North Woodside Community Centre, 230 Pleasant St., Dartmouth.
Fee: $100 (includes printed class material)

Lessons schedule:

Lesson 1 - April 2, 2008, 7:30pm – 9:00pm

Lesson 2 - April 9, 2008, 7:30pm – 9:00pm

Lesson 3 - April 16, 2008, 7:30pm – 9:00pm

Lesson 4 - April 23, 2008, 7:30pm – 9:00pm

Lesson 5 - April 30, 2008, 7:30pm – 9:00pm

Lesson 6 – May 7, 2008, 7:30pm – 9:00pm

For more information and registration,

contact Ron Chavez at 495-7067

SPANISH LESSONS – NEW BEGINNERS II GROUP - WINTER 2008

Do you know already some Spanish?

Would you like to learn new words and practice more Spanish?

Would you like to tell – in Spanish – how was your last trip to Latin America?

Join us and sign up for our next group lesson:

BEGINNERS II - Tools and tips for conversation.

Includes general review of material studied in the ‘Beginners I’ level. New important vocabulary. We will practice with phrases and sentences in the past tense and we will learn to talk about events and plans in the future.

This group class includes five lessons (1.5 hour each). We will learn and practice in class useful phrases and vocabulary for the following scenarios:

• Listening the radio
• Talking about your plans
• Small talk at the hotel
• My host family
• An E-mail in Spanish to my friend

Lessons start April 10^th, 2008 / 6 weeks / Thursday evenings
Instructor: Ron Chavez
Location: North Woodside Community Centre, 230 Pleasant St., Dartmouth.

Fee: $80 (includes printed class material)

Lessons schedule:

Lesson 1 - April 10, 2008, 7:30pm – 9:00pm, Room No. 1, NWCC

Lesson 2 - April 17, 2008, 7:30pm – 9:00pm, Room No. 1, NWCC

Lesson 3 - April 24, 2008, 7:30pm – 9:00pm, Room No. 1, NWCC

Lesson 4 - May 1^st, 2008, 7:30pm – 9:00pm, Room No. 1, NWCC

Lesson 5 – May 8^th, 2008, 7:30pm – 9:00pm, Room No. 1, NWCC

For more information and registration, contact Ron Chavez at 495-7067 or email: spanish.halifax@gmail.com

Semana Santa (Holy Week) en Antigua Guatemala

Film Screening in Halifax

NS Cuba Association and Albasol Tours present the inspirational film:

TOCAR Y LUCHAR

(TO PLAY AND TO FIGHT)

Thursday, April 3, 2008 at 7 pm.

Art Gallery of Nova Scotia - Bedford Row Entrance

To Play and To Fight is the captivating story of the Venezuelan Youth and Children's Orchestra System, an incredible network of hundreds of orchestras formed within most of Venezuela's towns and villages. Once a modest program designed to expose rural children to the wonders of music, 'El Sistema' has evolved into what has been called "one of the most important and beautiful social phenomena in modern history." Close to half a million students have participated in the program, which was founded in 1975 by musician, economist and politician Jose Antonio Abreu as a state-funded social program to improve the lives of the country's underprivileged youth.

Jose Antonio Abreu recently won Canada's prestigious Glenn Gould Award -- awarded every third year in recognition of a significant contribution to the arts, music and communication.

See this beautiful film!

Admission by donation – suggested donation $5.

With the support of:

The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Canada

For more information: albasolitours@gmail.com

Los musicos cubanos en Dartmouth, NS

Tickets are: $20. for Adult $10. for Student - Available at the Door only -

Doors at 7:30 PM Concert at 8:00 PM - NSCC Waterfront Campus - Dartmouth, NS
80 Mawiomi Place (Off Pleasant St. across from Dartmouth General Hospital)

Call: (902) 401-2104 for info or Email: goodspeed@eastlink.ca <mailto:goodspeed@eastlink.ca

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Halifax, NS – Feb. 19, 2008

ALL THE WAY FROM CUBA! – HavanaFax! In Concert this Friday
Feb 22, 2008 at 8:00 PM - at the new Dartmouth NSCC Waterfront Campus Theatre
Tickets are: $20. for Adult / $10. for Student – at the Door only.

Also….

Recording live on Feb 22 at the NSCC Waterfront Campus Theatre.

HavanaFax 2008 will present a live concert to be recorded live for the production of the HavanaFax II CD. The original HavanaFax Live recording won the ECMA in 2004 for Best Jazz Recording. Don Chapman will again work his magic in getting the sounds into the box using the wonderful facilities of the new NSCC Waterfront Campus. Come and hear four amazing musicians from Havana mix it up with Halifax’s finest in the beautiful new Waterfront Campus Theatre. Visiting from Cuba are musicians Jorge Chicoy, guitar, Tony Rodriguez, piano, Avi Garcia, bass and Yasek Manzano, Trumpet. Joining the Cuban musicians are our own Jeff Goodspeed on sax, Tom Roach / Dave Burton on drums, Keith Mullins on percussion, and special guest Shayna Dube on vocals
Also, out in full force for this event will be the NSCC television arts program to capture it all on video.
And….on this same night….during the concert…..there will be a…..

Bonus event! Due to a postponement last Saturday night……At this Friday’s HavanaFax concert - the draw the for the winner of our Trip for Four to Cuba will take place ! (A Los Primos Project Fundraiser 2008).

Tickets are: $20. for Adults $10.for Students

Available at the Door: NSCC Dartmouth Waterfront Campus 80 Mawiomi Place (off Pleasant Street in Dartmouth – across from Dartmouth General Hospital).

For Info Contact: Jeff Goodspeed (902) 401-2104 or email: goodspeed@eastlink.ca

More Background on Artists
Jorge Chicoy – guitar

Chicoy is known in Cuba and by Fidel as the Pearl of the South. He has played with everyone in Cuba during the last 3 decades. From Irakere and Chucho Valdes to Arturo Sandoval, the Buena Vista Social Club and Omara Portuondo, Chicoy has had a very distinguished career. When he is not traveling the world performing with various Cuban artists, he is in demand in the studios of Havana, recording with international music stars. Los Primos is indeed fortunate that Chicoy was available to make this trip to the East Coast of Canada in February of 2008.

Tony Rodriguez – piano

Tony was the piano player in the first three student bands from Cuba to visit Nova Scotia. He then graduated to playing in HavanaFax and has been to the East Coast seven times. He is a truly amazing piano player and composer. He enjoyed years of playing with the top Cuban dance group of this decade, Issac Delgado. He is now touring on a regular basis with Cuban singer song writer Carlos Varela.

Avi Garcia – bass

Avi came to Canada for the first time in 2001 when Los Primos needed a last minute replacement on bass. He immediately became part of the family and a founding member of HavanaFax. He also spend the past six years playing with Issac Delgado and now enjoys a freelance career playing in Havana and Cancun.

Yasek Manzano – trumpet

Yasek is returning to Nova Scotia after 10 years. He was also part of the first student band in 1998 that rocked the jazz scene at the Atlantic Jazz Festival. He was offered scholarships at Berklee and Julliard and did spend 18 months at Julliard before returning to Cuba to pursue his own music. He now plays regularly with Chucho Valdes and with his own group.
Jeff Goodspeed – musician/teacher

Born in Truro Nova Scotia, 2 time ECMA winner for best jazz recording (1996 and 2004), founder of Los Primos Project, Director of Acadia Jazz Camp and Nova Scotia Honour Jazz. Leader of HavanaFax and Latin Groove. Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow for creating bridges between cultures.

Shayna Dubé – voice/flute/sax

A member of the Canadian Primos for four years, this young talent (16 years old) has been to Cuba two times on Los Primos musical study tours and has very quickly become a prominent performer in the Halifax area. She sings in Spanish well enough to fool the natives and has the expression of Diana Krall, the mystery of Holly Cole, and the passion of Aretha Franklin. She recently sang back-up vocals for Michael Bublé at the Halifax Metro Centre concert.



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Jeff Goodspeed
45 White St.
Dartmouth, NS, B2X 2P6
902 401-2104
goodspeed@eastlink.ca