QuinTango – Triunfal CD Giveaway

26. March 2009 · 81 comments · Categories: Argentinian Music, CD Giveaway · Tags: , , ,

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Looking for some sexy music to warm things up for a dramatic evening?  QuinTango’s dynamic chamber tango music is certain to heat you up enough to steam the very windows of your casa.  This tango quintet has just released its fifth CD, Triunfal, and its sound is wonderfully elegant, hot, sexy – everything a tango should be.  The quintet is made up of two violins, a cello, a bass, and a piano.  They’ve performed live the world over and have a dedicated following.  QuinTango has even performed at a White House State Dinner in 1999 when President Clinton hosted the President of Argentina, his Excellency Carlos Saul Menem.  

Starting in Buenos Aires during the turn of the 20th century, the Tango became one of the great dances of the Golden Age and has seen quite a resurgence of late through the rediscovery of ballroom dance.  QuinTango celebrates that history with its vivid collection of music.  The songs vary from the more slow and restrained to the all-out exotic and passionate.  If you don’t know how to Tango at the beginning of the CD, you’ll be looking for classes by the end!  Triunfal is certainly a triumphant collection for any serious music lover (or perhaps any serious lover, period!)

From the Washington D.C. area, this dynamic group has won 5 Wammie Awards, D.C.’s local music award, for Best Latin Recording.  See why in this video, then tell me what you think to win your own copy of QuinTango’s Triunfal CD.

Multiple Options for Entry:

1.) Just watch the above video and tell me why you’d like to win QuinTango’s Triunfal.  (You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Thursday, April 2, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

Best of Contemporary Mexican Fiction – Short Story Collection

25. March 2009 · 103 comments · Categories: Book Review and Giveaway, Mexican Literature, Short Stories · Tags: , ,

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Covering some of the best Mexican short story writing, Best of Contemporary Mexican Fiction offers an anthology of stories translated from Spanish to English for the first time, all written by some of Mexico’s finest authors born after 1945.  The short fiction ranges from the intellectually stimulating to the humorous with everything in between; but be it serious or funny, it’s all great writing that will keep the reader hooked.  

Part of the Latin American Literature Series published by Dalkey Archive Press, Best of Contemporary Fiction contains both the English translations and the original Spanish; English on the right hand page, Spanish on the left.  If you haven’t read many translated works, translations can sometimes be a little jerky or feel contrived.  I have never experienced that in any of the books published by Dalkey, and I certainly don’t here.  The English versions read smoothly, and Spanish speakers will enjoy reading the stories in the original.  As an English speaker, I’m happy to see the stories of Best of Contemporary Mexican Fiction translated, thus reaching a larger audience of enthusiastic readers, of which I am certainly one.

Multiple Options for Entry:

1.) Just tell me why you’d like to read Best of Contemporary Mexican Fiction.  (You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Wednesday, April 1, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

Pura Vida Coffee Giveaway

24. March 2009 · 234 comments · Categories: Coffee, Creature Comforts for Bookworms · Tags: , , ,

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I’m so pleased to introduce you to Pura Vida Coffee.  Not just because they’re an excellent cup of coffee, which to me is an essential part of prying open my eyes in the morning.  But even more important than a fine brew, Pura Vida is using their capacity as a company to reach out and help those countries responsible for growing their coffee.  Fair trade, organic, and eco-friendly with a humanitarian presence in five different countries, Pura Vida donates thousands of dollars to various charities and is actively involved with numerous organizations through their project “Create Good”, helping the very countries who provide them with high-quality shade grown beans. 

Maybe that’s the extra something special that one can taste in this organic coffee – their sense of responsibility for everything from the coffee drinker’s experience to the coffee growers themselves.  Every variety I’ve tried from Pura Vida has been a quality, flavorful cup from beans fresh roasted in small batches.  Whether you prefer something bold and full of flavor such as their dark and delicious French Roast or my personal favorite due to its complex intensity, Cafe Kilimanjaro; or if you lean more towards the aromatic flavored coffees such as Irish Cream or French Vanilla, Pura Vida delivers a gourmet cup every time. I like to mix things up by preparing my coffee as an espresso, a cappuccino, regular drip – even “stuff-left-on-the-bottom” Turkish.  You can’t prepare things like espresso or Turkish with an inferior bean; I’ve not been disappointed with Pura Vida’s performance in any of these variations.  The full flavor of freshly roasted beans makes a huge difference in the end product of something as demanding as a Turkish brew! 

I always look forward to sharing companies such as Pura Vida with my readers.  When a company is able to balance a good quality product with caring for the environment and for people in need, I’ll gladly sing their praises.  We should feel good about the purchases we make; it’s nice to know where our consumer dollars are going for a change, isn’t it?  

It’s time to try some Pura Vida Coffee for yourself!  One carp(e) libris reviews reader will win a bag of the coffee of their choice; be prepared to help change your world!

Multiple Options for Entry:

1.) Just visit the Pura Vida website and tell me something this company does to help better the world.  (You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Tuesday, March 31, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

Iveroni – Heroic and Love Songs from the Country of Georgia

24. March 2009 · 1 comment · Categories: georgian music · Tags: ,

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With traveling costs out of bounds for many of us during these economic hardships, there is still one way to put yourself into the spirit of a country without the pricey airline ticket: Music.  In the CD Iveroni, we travel to the country of Georgia to hear the traditional music of the Caucasus Mountains where we’ll hear songs of love and heroism.  The four men making up Iveroni have a verve for life; it pulses through each track, making me yearn for my traveling days when I used to do a little globetrotting in regions that played music similar to that of Georgia, found in the dividing line between Europe and Asia.

The polyphonic music of Iveroni is the sort of thing one would listen to while in a festive gathering (in Georgia it’s called a “supra”); the dinner is done, the homemade wine is still flowing, and the musicians are just getting warmed up.  There’s no sitting back to listen to this music!  Your feet will thump and you’ll feel the blood of an ancient people coursing through your veins.  The wild music that connects us all, even if we’ve not a drop of Georgian DNA, will make you grab your dancing partner for a mad spin about the room.  So open another bottle of your favorite vino and prepare to reconnect with your ancestors, whoever they might be, with the help of the spirited group Iveroni.

Hear Iveroni and purchase the CD.

The Color of Light by Dana Cunningham – CD Giveaway

23. March 2009 · 110 comments · Categories: CD Giveaway, Piano Music · Tags: , , ,

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Few instruments are as beautiful on their own as the piano.  I grew up with a piano teacher for a mother, so naturally I took lessons too.  There was piano music in my house everyday, so it’s no wonder I find the sounds of this instrument to be soothing.  When set in front of pianist Dana Cunningham, the sounds this instrument produces are magical and relaxing.  Cunningham’s CD The Color of Light will transport listeners to a place of tranquility and peace.  

The music, all composed by Cunningham, has an Enya-like contemplative quality.  While the music focuses mostly on piano, occasionally a guitar, strings, or a voice play lightly into the pieces, adding another layer of warm color.  There is something lighthearted and comforting to The Color of Light.  If you love having some relaxing music in the background or perhaps a soundtrack to your quiet moments, this is certainly one to get for your special collection.  Dana Cunningham has a light touch and coaxes a vibrant quality from her music that will bring you back to The Color of Light again and again.

Want to win your own copy of The Color of Light by Dana Cunningham?  I have one to give away!

Multiple Options for Entry:

1.) Just visit Dana Cunningham’s Site, turn up your speakers, and listen.  (You’ll be hearing Leap of Faith.) Come back and explain to me why you like her music.  (You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Monday, March 30, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

Tri Boro Trio – Jazz CD Giveaway

18. March 2009 · 59 comments · Categories: CD Giveaway, Jazz Music · Tags: , ,

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When you need good music and jazz is the answer of the day, try a little Tri Boro Trio.  Band leader and trombonist Rob Susman, with guitarist Ed MacEachen and Bass John Loehrke,  serve up a soothing and mellow jazz menu with the trio’s self-titled CD.  Many of the songs, written by Susman himself, feature the smooth sounds of his trombone as the lead.  Also featured are a couple Duke Ellington favorites such as “It Don’t Mean a Thing if You Ain’t Got That Swing”, and “In a Sentimental Mood”; both are fantastic arrangements with some very entertaining solos.  Having been a featured soloist with the Duke Ellington Legacy Band, Susman certainly knows his Ellington!  

Listening to the Tri Boro Trio, you might just forget you’ve got a CD in the player; instead you’ll be transported to a cozy little jazz bar where the music is hot and the evening is for relaxing.  Or perhaps dancing – tracks such as “Running with Scissors”, written by Susman, will make it hard to keep your feet still.  The way the guy can move that trombone slide, you may have a hard time concentrating on your dance moves, however.  Jazz lovers will want to catch the Tri Boro Trio in concert to see for themselves.  

If you can’t get to the concert, you should at least enjoy the CD.  Shoppers can purchase Tri Boro Trio at CDBaby for $9.99; or enter to win your own here at carp(e).  Rob Susman is giving away one copy to a carp(e) libris reviews reader!

Multiple Options for Entry:

1.) Just visit Tri Boro Trio’s CD Baby Page, turn up your speakers, play a few track samples in the lower right.  Come back and me why their sound interests you.  (You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Wednesday, March 25, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

David Pritchard’s Vertical Eden and Air Patterns

17. March 2009 · 1 comment · Categories: Acoustical Guitar Music · Tags: , , ,

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What started out as a sort of experiment in using a multi-track tape recorder has resulted in David Pritchard’s unique style of acoustical guitar playing.  Like reflections of light within a prism, Pritchad’s music emits a sparkle of acoustical sound. If Philip Glass would have been a guitar player, I believe he would have been composing something like this.  The rolling arpeggios of multiple guitars bring forth a warm, contemplative sound as the songs morph almost imperceptibly.

Both of David Pritchard’s CD’s, his first being “Air Patterns” and his second “Vertical Eden“, are rhythmic and meditative pieces,  yet there’s a playfulness about them.  You can almost hear the cogs in Pritchard’s mind turning as he experiments and plays with the notes.  Yet there is still something very methodical and controlled about the style without becoming the least bit stiff or boring.  I’d view the two CD’s almost as a Part One and Part Two of a musical exploration – after hearing the first, you’ll definitely come back for seconds.

I have listened to both CD’s repeatedly, and I find something new in them each time.  While they are best listened to when you can really concentrate and draw from the music, there is an element in the style very conducive to background music when you need to focus on the task at hand – a creativity jolt, if you will.  However, I prefer my arpeggio-induced music all on its own with nothing to distract from its complex beauty.

East Slope by Su Shi

16. March 2009 · 7 comments · Categories: Chinese Literature, Poetry · Tags: , , ,

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In 1081 when Su Shi was 42 years old, he was arrested for writing controversial poetry which was said to criticize government reforms.  He would have been sentenced to death but for Emperor Shenzong who instead exiled him to a remote area, Huangzhou.  The land was dry and suffering from drought, and he was forced to work the parched earth or starve.  As a result, he wrote the poetry of East Slope.

Translated by Jeffrey Yang, Su Shi’s poetry is simple – almost stark – but beautiful.  He speaks of the labor of beginning with only an empty field and no food or home.  As he toils over the land, his poetry expresses a contrast of having nothing yet being rich in the surroundings of nature.

Any nature lover, gardener, or farmer can easily relate to the ancient poetry of Su Shi, as can anyone who has ever lost it all, yet found the beauty in beginning again.  

Published by Ugly Duckling Presse, this unique collection is printed in the same simple yet elegant manner of the poet’s words.  Bound in a folder, tied with string, each poem contains both the original Chinese characters and the English translation; each poem written on a subtle pictorial background.  East Slope is a must-own piece for any lover of ancient Chinese literature; this handful of precious poems will be returned to again and again.

The Five Lost Days by William Petrick – Book Giveaway

13. March 2009 · 210 comments · Categories: Book Giveaway, Fiction · Tags: , ,

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So much about The Five Lost Days appeals to my adventurous side.  Taking place in Belize, a small Latin American country I long to see, it focuses on Michael Burns, a documentary film director who takes his crew to the jungles to film a “curandero”.  Curanderos are a sort of Mayan medicine man, close to extinction.  Their focus on herbs and medicinal plants only heightened my fascination with the book.

Kelly, an American who lives in the jungle with distant pot-smoking rebel husband Frank, works for an American pharmaceutical company.  She was sent to Belize ten years previous to study the healing plants; in her love for the jungle and a deep affection for the elderly curandero, she stays on much longer than she’d originally intended.

As Burns soon finds out, the five days he’s scheduled to film are considered in Mayan tradition to be The Five Lost Days – an evil time Mayans of the old ways see fit to stay home and wait out in fear  But the show must go on… if Burns can help it.

 

Multiple Options for Entry:

1.) Just tell me why you’d like to read The Five Lost Days.  (You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Friday, March 20, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

Higher Grounds Fair Trade Coffee Giveaway

12. March 2009 · 321 comments · Categories: Coffee, Giveaways · Tags: , , , ,

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What could be better than making your morning brighter?  How about making the world brighter too? If you  need a cup of joe befitting of starting your day with a smile,  Higher Grounds Trading Company provides not only quality organic coffees for true coffee lovers, but they also provide a host of benefits for the farmers and communities responsible for the beans.

I’m learning that there’s nothing better than shade grown organic coffee.  Higher Grounds receives their beans from small shady coffee plantations around the globe; each location is assured a fair wage.  In return, the plantations produce amazing shade grown organic beans which are sent to Higher Grounds and roasted to order in small batches.  My pound of Justice Blend arrived on my doorstep a mere two days after its roasting.  What a difference this makes!  The Justice Blend is a light roast that produces a full bodied coffee.  Opening the bag for the first time was a delightful experience my nose will not soon forget.  A blend of Colombian and Ethiopian beans, Justice Blend produced a marvelous cup of coffee that offered much more flavor than I had even expected.  I was surprised to note the soft floral notes mentioned on the bag do indeed exist, making for a very enjoyable breakfast coffee.  Full of flavor, roasted to order, and serving a good cause, Higher Grounds gives the serious coffee drinker something to crow about – even in the wee hours of morning.

Want to try Higher Grounds for yourself?  They’re giving away a pound of their fresh roasted beans to one carp(e) libris readers.  

Multiple Options for Entry:

1.) Just visit the Higher Grounds Trading Company website and tell me what you liked or learned there.  (You may enter once a day.) Remember, leave an interesting comment.  If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

     Already a subscriber?  Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

     Want to subscribe?  Just enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the left. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you do not receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post.  Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post. (If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry – I may have to approve it first.  My blog might think it’s spam but gosh darn, I certainly don’t!)

4.) I’m feeling Twittery.  If you Twitter a link to this giveaway, come back and comment here to let me know your Twitter name for another entry! (I’m dkmommy if you want to follow me.)

Feel free to do all four to gain several entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Thursday, March 19, 2009, to enter.

Check out all current giveaways for both my blogs here.

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