Countrywide Events

Western SLOVAKIA

Bratislava

LIVE MUSIC: BRATISLAVA will hold the 16th year of Livin' Blues, an international festival of rhythm and blues, on March 15 starting at 16:30. The festival features foreign and local musicians performing on two stages. American singer Ron Ringwood, who's from Georgia but has been living in Europe since 1988, is the highlight. Ringwood, who recorded a solo album of well-known gospel, blues and soul songs in 2001, will perform with musicians from Hungary and Slovakia. Mother Follow Chairs is coming from Přerov, Czech Republic. Bayou Alligators from Germany will perform zydeco and rootmusic. Slovakia will be represented by homegrown blues musicians Bluesweiser Juraja Turteva, Tóno Hornák and the Social Blues Club, the Milan Konfráter Blues Band and the popular Blues 8 band with its Blues Brothers Show. The festival takes place in the House of Culture Lúky at Vígľašská 1. Tickets cost Sk250 in advance and Sk300 at the door. For more information, go to www.kzp.sk.

Bratislava

LIVE MUSIC: Triango - Canadian-based Slovak pianist and conductor Peter Breiner, accordion player Boris Lenko and violinist Stano Palúch play Breiner's arrangements of tangos.

Starts: March 10, 19:00. Admission: Sk250. The concert hall of the Slovak Radio, Mýtna 1. www.triango.sk.

Bratislava

MARKET: Easter Market - Folk handicraftsmen offer traditional Easter decorations - Easter egg shells, switches, embroidery and many others.

Runs: March 10-25, 10:00-18:00. Admission: free. Františkánske Square.

Bratislava

FOLKLORE: Pictures from Slovakia - The renowned Slovak folk music and dance ensemble Sľuk performs a show that combines dance with film.

Starts: March 14, 19:00. Admission: Sk200. Balkánska 31, Rusovce. Tel: 02/6820-9090, www.sluk.sk.

Bratislava

LIVE MUSIC: Azúcar Cubana - Singer and maracas player Janelys Fernández Díaz, pianist Yoanna González Hernández, trumpet player Martin Ďurdina and percussionist Eddy Portella perform salsa, merengue and cha cha cha.

Starts: March 13, 21:00. Admission: Sk150. Nu Spirit Bar, Medená 16. Tel: 0905/865-566.

Bratislava

EXHIBITION: City Home - This display presents new housing architecture from the Helsinki region, as well as adaptations of existing buildings such as empty lofts, production halls and warehouses.

Open: Mon-Sun 10:00-17:00 until March 20. Design Factory, Bottova 2. www.designfactory.sk.

Bratislava

EXHIBITION: Marek Brincko - This young Slovak glass artist presents his first solo display.

Open: Tue-Sun 13:00-18:00 until April 13. Admission: free. Nova Gallery, Baštová 2.

Tel: 02/5443-3039.

Trnava

FOLKLORE: Palm Sunday - Local folk music and dance ensembles Drienka, Trnafčan, Trnka, Trnavček and Maderán perform.

Starts: March 16, 15:00. Admission: free. The Hviezda cinema, Paulínska 1. Tel: 033/3236-440.

Nitra

EXHIBITION: Cosmic Messages - Prominent France-based Slovak glass artist Ján Zoričák presents more than 40 glass artworks. This is the biggest presentation of the artist's work to take place in the last few years.

Open: Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00 until March 27. Admission:

Sk20. Nitrianska Gallery, Župné Square 3. Tel: 037/6579-641, www.nitrianskagaleria.sk.

Central SLOVAKIA

Žilina

EXHIBITION: THE STANICA culture centre in Žilina presents The Legacy project by Italian visual artist Cristian Berti, which focuses on the life of Milan Rastislav Štefánik, one of Slovak history's most significant figures. Berti looks at Štefánik symbolically through his intimate relationship with Italian woman Giuliana Benzoni. Štefánik is presented as a man, not a soldier. In the project, Berti combines his own works (installations and videos) with wooden objects carved by folk artist Jozef Liška from the Rajecká valley. At the beginning of the project, Berti was inspired by two events - a meeting with carvers from the valley and a meeting with Benzoni's grandson, with whom he made a video of reflections on Czechoslovakia during the First World War. The exhibition in the Stanica open cultural space, Stanica Záriečie, is open daily from 12:00-20:00 until March 30. For more information, go to www.stanica.sk.

Banská Bystrica

EXHIBITION: Permaculture - Slovak visual artist Elena Lichá-Zábranská exhibits paintings, graphic works, photos and videos in which she searches for timeless values and raises questions about permaculture design, which emphasises a sustainable way of living on the planet.

Open: Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00, until March 16. Admission: Sk40. Central-Slovak Gallery, Nám. Š.Moyzesa 25, Tel: 048/4701-615, www.isternet.sk/sgbb.

Eastern SLOVAKIA

Košice

LIVE MUSIC: Skaville UK and Polemic - British band Skaville arrives in Eastern Europe for the first time to play ska. Slovak ska band Polemic is a guest.

Starts: March 14, 19:00. Admission: Sk220 (in advance), Sk270 (at the door). Collosseum club, Vrátna 70. Tel: 055/6258-888.

Košice

LIVE MUSIC: Lavagance - Slovak progressive band Lavagance, with guests Frank Winter from the UK and The Swan Bride from Slovakia, performs during its spring tour to promote its latest album, Orthodox Experience.

Starts: March 15, 20:00. Admission: Sk100 (in advance), Sk140 (at the door). IC Culture Train, Nižná úvrať 25, Vyšné Opátske. Tel: 055/6424-488, www.icct.sk.