Job Discussion Forums

[Geronimo]

The Batinah Blues Band's performance on 11th June is likely to be its last as some of its members are moving on. The band's line up has featured four of Sohar's English teachers. It will be missed by local lovers of rock and the blues.
Photos of the band are available at www.soharmusicfestival.com .

Wednesday's free concert is at the Sohar Beach Hotel and starts at 8:30 p.m.. Let's pay tribute to their ground-breaking efforts and bid them a fond farewell!

[lall]

Wish I were there!

Though I'm not a blues fan, I appreciate any effort in providing live music, amateur or professional (amateur player, myself and all that).

Which is more than I can say for those numerous bands that play in the hotels in Bahrain, sequencing and lip-synching all the time.

And they do fool a lot of people. Why! I had a fellow Indian who insisted that the singers weren't lip-synching until I pointed it out to him.

Anything on the new blues bar that was supposed to open up in Bahrain. Gharwell, eh?

Wish them all the best on my behalf, Geronimo.

[Geronimo]

It's a pity that you can't make the concert this Wednesday,Lall.
I'll pass on your best wishes to the Batinah Bluesband if I get the opportunity. Two of the band's members are Indians, too, incidentally.

Maybe we'll see you at the Sohar Music Festival....
Dates are yet to be confirmed, but I've heard that the 2008 festival will be held over the course of 3 Wednesday evenings, commencing on either 29th October or 5th November. And, the Sohar Beach Hotel is likely to be the main venue again.

"Gharwell?" Although I was in Bahrain the other weekend, I haven't heard any news regarding a new blues bar.

[lall]

[Geronimo]

Have you tried the 'Warbler's Bar' next to the Baisan International Hotel, just off Exhibition Avenue in Manama, lall?

Apart fom the live music there, the food is excellent!

[lall]

I live bang next to the Diplomatic Area. I'll look it up. Thanks.

[Geronimo]

The Baisan International Hotel was part of the Best Western group, and the Warbler's is right next to it.. Maybe it was the one that Gharwell1 heard about.

[lall]

I'm a sucker for pure, live music. I called and ascertained the location of the place. Unfortunately, they weren't open when I checked at around 19:00 hours, yesterday.

[Geronimo]

The Warbler's Friday brunch comes recommended. And their all day, full English breakfast reputedly has more real bacon in it than a veggie can turn down in a whole month!

As this is a posting on the Oman forum, and not the Bahrain one, I ought to mention that the Batinah Blues Band's farewell performance in Sohar was something of a disaster... A couple of the band members, including the drummer, got held up by a road accident. By the time the band was ready to perform, most of the audience had left the Sohar Beach Hotel.

Now for some brighter news:- A new newsletter for Sohar expats, "Sohar Source", bearing local news, details of activities and events in Sohar, recipes and other stuff, is now available. The contact email address for "Sohar Source" is [email protected] .

[veiledsentiments]

Geronimo... is it available online so that people in some of the nearby colleges would know if something was up for the weekends?

VS

[Geronimo]

As far as I'm aware, VS, there isn't a website address for "The Sohar Source" as yet.
In fact, the current issue includes a request for assistance from a computer-minded person to help set up such a website to ease distribution. Hopefully it will go online shortly.
Meanwhile, I believe that the current issue can be requested via the email address above. I received it as an email attachment in Adobe format.

[Geronimo]

Could the Batinah Blues Band be returning from the dead?!

There's a rumour circulating that two of the band's key members are back in business in Oman! Will they re-form?

The third Sohar Music Festival is scheduled to be held over three weekends - commencing from the end of October 2008...
Bands from Muscat have already expressed their interest in performing in Sohar.
Will the Batinah Blues Band be joining them on the billing?!

In any case, these free concerts at the Sohar Beach Hotel
( www.soharbeach.com ) have got to be worth checking out!
There will no doubt be opportunities during the SMF to meet with TEFLers based from other Colleges and Schools.

Updates on SMF2008 are available at www.soharmusicfestival.com .

Geronimo

[Geronimo]

The dates and venues have now been confirmed for the Sohar Music Festival 2008.......
The opening concert will be held on Wednesday, 29th October at Al Batinah International School. It will feature performances by the school's choir, and by the Indian Music Institute, Sohar and some other local musicians.

And, for the free concerts on the two following Wednesdays, 5th and 12th November, the venue will be the Sohar Beach Hotel.

The American British Academy's Band and The Geckos will be playing on 5th November.

The Al Batinah Blues Band is no more. It has broken up.
However, a new band, called The Soul Survivors, will be taking their place. The 50 Degrees band will also be performing on that 12th November bill.

[Geronimo]

Another chance to see the Batinah Blues Band members in action has emerged.

Two video clips of their performance at the SMF 2007 have been made available on youtube.....at....
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-QQFQWkBLg0
How many EFL teachers can you spot playing in the band and dancing in the audience?

There are two video clips of the Soul Survivors' debut at SMF 2008, featuring Damien d'Souza on lead guitar, too...at...
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3BMvi0bWF0I

Has anyone heard a rumour that the creation of a "Sohar Festival" is being considered by the Ministry of Tourism for 2009

Happy 2009!

Geronimo

[gorazdi]

Dont give up the daytime jobs guys
Well after 2 of the finer musos moved on the leftovers did pose in the fall to a small throng as 'BBB lite' at Slower Beach Repel 10 rials atin in the new knocking shop
SINBAD but not SIN cheap