Monday Choon: Swedish House Mafia & Alicia Keys - Finally

 

The Swedish trio broke many hearts when they announced they were breaking up back in 2013, even though there were many reasons for their parting I think the time apart did them some good for when they eventually got back together in 2018. Yes, the genre had changed massively in those 5 years but with each of them concentrating on their solo projects and Axwell and Ingrosso also doing their duo stints are festivals, the come back was bigger than the set back as they say. Today's featured song goes to prove that. The trio always had a knack of attracting a-list talent for their tracks, from Tinnie Tempah to Pharell, all those tracks were instant hits and with "Finally", a song appropriately named as it took almost 2 years to make, featuring the vocals of Grammy winning singer Alicia, the track is fresh but has that distinct SHM feel to it. With the background featuring a strong piano which leads into house beats and a variety of synths which all builds up to the  bassline drop, along with the chorus of the track just gives you that Ibiza feel to it. 

Monday Choon: David Guetta & MORTEN - Never Be Alone

David Guetta is the type of DJ that makes music for the mainstream audiences but every now and then he drops a song to remind you that he still can make tracks that warrants spins at EDM parties and events, not just the radio. Today's featured track is just that, he teams up with Danish DJ and producer Morten and features vocals from Aloe Blacc. The track titled "Never Be Alone" was released in July this year and still a firm favourite of many. 

Bucket Travel: MSC Armonia

MSC Cruises’ upcoming winter Caribbean season from November 2019 to April 2020 will get off to a strong start with MSC Armonia’s maiden call to the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve just one week after the season begins. As part of her new and enriched itineraries, MSC Armonia will visit this exclusive natural island destination every week, as well as other exciting ports across the Western Caribbean.

Founded on a deep commitment to ecological principles, Ocean Cay will be a private island destination like no other, surrounded by protected waters rich in marine and coral life. It has been conceived to immerse travellers in the natural beauty of the Caribbean and The Bahamas.

Snorkelling tours, scuba diving, stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking are among the outdoor activities that MSC Armonia’s more adventurous guests will be able to enjoy at Ocean Cay. Those seeking a more relaxing experience will have eight white sandy beaches to choose from, as well as a new luxurious spa concept and countless other options. A vast array of family-friendly experiences will also be available. Like other MSC Cruises ships in the Caribbean, MSC Armonia will stay at berth from 9am to 11pm, allowing guests to make the most of their time on the island and enjoy stunning sunsets by the iconic lighthouse.

Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises’ CEO comments, “As we continue to grow our presence in the region, we have enriched MSC Armonia’s itineraries to offer our guests an even more immersive Caribbean experience. The Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve will be a key highlight, with a 14-hour call to let our guests explore and enjoy this beautiful island and its surrounding waters, both during the day and into the night. MSC Armonia will also visit other gems across the Western Caribbean in Jamaica, Mexico, the Cayman Islands and beyond.”

From November 2019 to April 2020, MSC Armonia will depart on one-week cruises from Miami every Monday, whereas from April to November 2020 her departure from Miami will be moved to Sunday.

In both cases, long-haul travellers will get a unique opportunity to spend the weekend in one of North America’s most vibrant cities before embarking on the cruise of their lives.

TAKE IN THE GORGEOUS VIEWS OF JAMAICA’S COAST

MSC Armonia will regularly visit a range of exciting ports and destinations across the Western Caribbean region. In Jamaica, MSC Armonia offers three different ports of call depending on the itinerary. In Ocho Rios, guests will be able to join a truly Jamaican bobsleigh tour, dive into Dolphin Cove and admire the Dunn's River Falls, with 180 metres  of cool, refreshing water cascading over natural limestone terraces. In Montego Bay, on Jamaica’s north-western coast, MSC Armonia’s guests will be able to go white-water rafting, tour an old plantation at the Good Hope Estate or learn about the mysteries of Rose Hall Great House, a fascinating colonial relic imbued with rumour and intrigue. In January 2020, MSC Armonia will visit Falmouth on Jamaica’s north coast, home to the Glistening Waters. When they visit the Luminous Lagoon, where the Martha Brae River and the Caribbean Sea meet, guests will experience first-hand how these two bodies of water mix to create bioluminescent micro-organisms that glow brightly.

DISCOVER THE BEST THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN HAS TO OFFER

MSC Armonia will bring the very best the Western Caribbean has to offer to her guests. In addition to Ocean Cay and Jamaica, the ship will regularly visit Mexico’s Costa Maya during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter 2019 – 2020 season. Her guests will enjoy an array of cultural, outdoor and relaxation activities there. George Town in the Cayman Islands is another idyllic destination that MSC Armonia will visit every week.

From April to November 2020, Key West (Florida, USA) will become a regular feature in MSC Armonia’s itinerary. There, guests will be able to visit the Historic District at the Old Town, which includes the island’s most popular spots, such as Mallory Square, Duval Street and Fort Zachary Taylor, as well as the southernmost point in the United States.

MSC ARMONIA OFFERS ITS OWN DELIGHTS

MSC Armonia incorporates a range of features that turn her into a destination in her own right, having recently gone through a major refurbishment. In terms of food and dining, the new Surf and Turf Restaurant offers the best of both worlds, such as a delicious filet mignon and tempting cold-water lobster tail. Bringing the Caribbean experience on board, the Rum Bar offers a range of cocktails, whether traditional or out-of-the-box.  The White Lion Pub introduces a new and complimentary menu featuring light meals – such as mojo chicken quesadillas, avocado and tuna salad wraps and spinach and artichoke dips to share – along with a wide selection of beers, including Newcastle Brown Ale, Murphy’s Irish Stout and Lagunitas IPA.

In addition to MSC Cruises’ fan-favourite parties like the White Party and Silent Disco, a highlight of MSC Armonia’s entertainment offering is its evening theatre entertainment, with a line-up of dynamic performances on board. Cruisers can marvel at a different, distinct show each evening. MSC Armonia offers a dedicated LEGO kids area, through its partnership with the toy giant, as well as a splash park.

In November, MSC Armonia will go through another drydock operation at the Bahamas’ Grand Bahama Shipyard.

Bucket Travel: MSC plans for PortMiami Cruise Terminal

MSC CRUISES NEW TERMINAL IN PORTMIAMI from MSC CRUISES on Vimeo.

MSC Cruises is the world's largest privately-owned cruise company and is a familiar  for local cruise goers as they've been sailing from South African ports for the past few decades, most notably Durban. With Durban being their most popular market, they've decided to invest heavily in the cities ports with the proposed new cruise terminal that's said to begin construction in early 2020. MSC also last month announced plans for another cruise terminal at a major port in the USA. 

Details of the port were were released as the terms of the agreement were approved from the Miami-Dada Board of the Country Commissioners. The  highly innovative multi-cruise ship terminal  will be designed, constructed and operated by MSC. The large building will host two cruise terminals (AA and AAA) as well as two berths. The building was designed by award-winning global architecture firm Arquitectonica, the PortMiami terminals will be capable of hosting two mega cruise ships at the same time, allowing the company to conduct two turnaround operations simultaneously, handling up to 28,000 passenger movements per day. 

Pierfranscesco Vago, MSC Cruises Executive Chairman had this to say: "With another 13 cruise vessels due to join our fleet in the next eight years, our ambition is to have our most innovative ship classes represented at PortMiami, bringing a wealth of choice to our North American as well as international guests."

MSC Cruises currently operates four vessels out of PortMiami, MSC Seaside and MSC Armonia year-round. MSC Divina seasonally and MSC Meravgilia which will join the ships sailing from Miami this fall, seasonally. With the new cruise facilities, MSC Cruises will bring a total of 1 million guests through PortMiami each year. Work on the new terminal will commence in early 2020 and estimated completion by late 2022. 

Suncoast Casino Shines Again!

As most of you know, Suncoast Casino and Entertainment world has been undergoing renovations and extension over the past year, with the Casino set to be expanding, more parking and a whole new food court coming up. Last night I was invited to the launch of the refurbished Casino area, where we could get to see what the overall look of the new gambling floor was to look like. 

Suncoast has always been one of Durban's star attractions, and the packed crowds prove this point. With Durban always having that Miami vibe, it was with this in mind that the Casino was developed in an Art-Deco theme, this transcends from the exterior to the interior, with the bright colours, neon lights and lavish decor. With the new look Casino, much of this transpired with that, and while renovations are not 100% complete yet, we could see the difference between the old and the new. 

The new area is much brighter, this just highlights the extent of the refurb as it brings out the colours in the new plush carpets, makes the granite embedded in the new tables sparkle and the columns which are decorated lavishly marble just illuminate in it all. Apart from the new tables, Suncoast have also brought in some new slot machines for those that prefer thrill they bring. Overall the new look is definitely a good one but we were not just there to look at the new Casino but were also offered to try our luck at a bit of gambling, with the winner taking home R2500 for a charity of their choice. 

We started off with Black Jack, after a brief intro by our dealer it was time to knuckle down and win some money....for charity of course. It seems like the cards were not on my side though, as I was broke by the last hand, not to worry, I had a chance to redeem myself in the next game, roulette! Now I don't gamble often but when I do, I do fancy the spinning wheel on the roulette table, as luck would have it, the ball was bouncing in my favour as I turned my R1000 worth of chips into R4940 after 7 spins! I was in the lead for a short-while before I was pipped off by another player. Into to the finals we went, Black Jack was the game to decide it all, I did much better than my first round, ending off with R1500, but falling short by R50 of claiming the prize. 

It was a great night, loads of fun, tasty food which was catered by Suncoast's very own Cafe Vigor. The new Casino area is looking fantastic, even if you aren't an avid gambler it is certainly worth a trip to see, and while you're there you can have a look at the changes that have been made to the food court and Suncoast beach. 

Monday Choon: Armin van Buuren vs Shapov - The Last Dancer

Following the trend of featuring new hits from Ultra Miami, here is another one that just came off the production line. It's the new one by legendary DJ Armin van Buuren which he worked with Russian producer Shapov to make this track. The track it self is great and you can identify the high energy style from Shapov with the uplifting trance from Armin's side. The multiple drops are the kicker to me, added to that the violins plus the bass just ties the entire song up so well. Armin dropped the track at the main-stage at Ultra where her invited Shapov onto stage to share the moment with him. We have that moment for you today, enjoy!

Monday Choon: NWYR - Ends of Time

It's no secret that I am a massive fan of NWYR and in my honest opinion they were the biggest break-through artist of 2017. Even though they haven't officially released much of their work, their live sets are just something else. The Dutch duo who are better known under their main guise as W&W have been playing as their new alias NWYR for just over a year now, with one of their first performances at the ASOT stage at Ultra Music Festival in Miami, which is where they first played today's featured track. You could tell that this song mean't a lot to the do as when they played it, the emotion on both Willem and Wardt's faces showed it. It is a great track, full of energy, awesome build ups and a killer drop. Honestly loving the work coming out from NWYR and hope to see more in the horizon. 

Monday Choon: NWYR - Voltage

If you follow me on Twitter you might have seen me tweet last week that NWYR are probably the best break through artist of the year. Many won't know who they are but are actually no strangers to the EDM game. Earlier this year when the Ultra Miami line-ups were announced, many were surprised to see the exclusion of W&W. The big room specialist who normally are a crowd favourite were not going to perform at the mega festival but later many discovered that they were but under a new alias, NWYR. The Dutch duo created NWYR to be more trance focused and have a heck load of music to share to the world. This has blown open their fan base now, with many trance goers attending their set at Ultra. Their set at the ASOT stage at Tomorrowland was mind blowing, it's so refreshing to see their take on trance, it has so much energy and great tempo, I honestly cannot wait for more new releases from them. Today we have featured their debut single, Voltage which just personifies how electric their music is, do enjoy. 

Monday Choon: Fedde Le Grand vs Ian Carey - Keep On Rising

Dutch House DJ Fedde Le Grand needs no introduction, ever since his hit track "Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit" went viral in 2006, he's been one of those DJ's that were always on the scene and one to look out for at any major festivals. No doubt one of his most sort after sets come from Miami Music Week where he is one of the popular artists to play on the Ultra Main Stage, this coming from his other hit track with Nicky Romero, "Sparks". Fedde of recent has been experimenting with some pop culture in his music but one of his most recent releases features the a classic by Ian Carey "Rise" and Fedde has given a make over of this 2008 track. 

Monday Choon: Tiesto - Boom

It's not quite Monday but with most of the world having the day off yesterday, well the counties which the British colonized, we can pretend it is. Ultra Miami is the perfect place for new releases and many DJ's dropped their latest work, one of which being Tiesto who played his new song "BOOM" which he made in conjunction with Sevenn. He calls its Brazilian bass and it's pretty catchy and he seems to love it as he's been dropping it every where, most recently at the Kings Day Party in Netherlands. 

Ultra South Africa 2017

Just 5 months after we were wowed by an amazing two day spectacular that was Ultra South Africa 2016, organizers of SA's largest electronic dance music event have announced that Ultra South Africa will be back in 2017! Unlike this years event, next year will see it revert back to the one day in each city, in my opinion it is better seeing that many suffered from burnout after the first day but not only that, in terms of logistics and costs, to squeeze in so much in 3 days, in two cities must have been a nightmare but never the less they got it done.

There are some changes to next years event though, the venue of the Cape Town leg has moved to the iconic Cape Town Stadium. The venue is a fantastic choice by the organisers, it makes sense as it's closer to the CBD with ample of parking and safety. The stadium is no stranger from hosting large events, from the FIFA World Cup to major concerts over the years, so it's more than capable of handling the crowds. Another interesting point to note is the concave glass roof of the stadium, it's designed in such a way to amplify the sound and give the crowds the best possible acoustics . So people attending the Cape Town event, be prepared to be blown away!

The Best is yet to come..  #ReliveUltraSA 💥 😉 pic.twitter.com/lttiUgScc5

— ULTRA South Africa (@ultrasa) July 26, 2016

Johannesburg's venue remains the same for the 4th year running, the Nasrec Expo Center is almost like the home of Ultra South Africa. It has the largest crowd out of the two and it really is like nothing you've experienced before, I've been there for all 3 years so far so I speak first hand at how incredible it is. Ultra will be going out in full force again next year to bring you the best sound, lighting, pyrotechnics and of course, the world's best DJ's! Pre-registration and Early Bird ticket sales have already begun, so if you've already managed to get your hand on some of those tickets, well done! For the others, you still can register and buy them online now!

For details on the pricing structure and when tickets will be released, see below:

City	Cape Town
Date	Friday, 24 February 2017
Venue	Cape Town Stadium

General Access	VIP
Early Bird (Limited): R650	Early Bird (Limited): R1000
Tier 1: R750	Tier 1: R1300
Tier 2: R850	Tier 2: R1600

  

City	Johannesburg
Date	Saturday, 25 February 2017
Venue	Nasrec Expo Centre

General Access	VIP	VVIP
Early Bird (Limited): R650	Early Bird (Limited): R1000
Tier 1: R800	Tier 1: R1400	Tier 1: R3000
Tier 2: R950	Tier 2: R1800	Tier 2: R4000

*Prices not inclusive of booking fees.

Follow Ultra on their various social media streams for updates on the event.

Twitter: @UltraSA 

Facebook: Ultra South Africa

Instagram: ultrasa
Website: ultrasouthafrica.com

Monday Choon: Zara Larsson, MNEK - Never Forget You (Dash Berlin Remix)

The thing about big music festivals is that the DJ's who play there want to showcase their latest work and once we get a listen to great tracks which were played for the first time, we want to hear more of it but we have to wait till their official release. One such track is the Dash Berlin Remix of Zara Larsson's & MNEK's track. Dash dropped it during his set on main stage at Ultra Miami, no word yet on when the official release will be but I can't wait to share it with you guys. The original song from Zara Larsson and MNEK is doing rather well on the charts and getting loads of airplay on the local radio stations but Dash does what Dash does best in remixes and just made the song that much more better. Here's the song taken from his live set at Ultra Miami 2016. 

                       

Monday Choon: Alan Walker - Faded (Tiesto Remix)

Yes I know it's not Monday but it feels like one after that glorious 4 day weekend and what better way to kick off yet another short week with an epic song? This years Ultra Music Festival in Miami saw it surpass it's previous events in size as well as headlining acts with all the big names in the industry playing sets as well as surprising us with some new work, one of which was Tiesto's remix of Alan Walkers track "Faded", it was a popular seeing that it was played by quite a few of the artist, including Dash Berlin and the legend himself Tiesto. And it's with this we bring you this epic track recorded live during Dash Berlin's set at UMF16. 

                       

Monday Choon: Hardwell feat. Jake Reese - Run Wild

Hardwell is back, good and proper with his latest track featuring Jake Reese. The sounds are more of his original work so hardcore fans of the former number one DJ/ producer will be loving this one. The official music video for the song was released last week and as always we have it for you today. Jake Reese provides the vocals on this one and it has been quite popular on most of the podcast of recent as well as hitting the heights in the Beatport charts. 

                   

Monday Choon - Ultra Countdown: Afrojack - Unstoppable

Dutch record producer and remixer Nick van de Wall or better known by his stage name "Afrojack" is no stranger to the Ultra Music Festival with him being almost a a guarunteed headliner at the Miami leg. It will be his second Ultra South Africa with him performing at the first one in 2014. It's hard to believe his hit track featuring Eva Simons "Take Control" was released 5 years ago as it's still a crowd favourite today. 

He's been pretty busy since he last visited the country and has released many hit tracks, most of which you will be hearing during his set this year, one such track is this weeks featured song "Unstoppable" which basically epitomises him. The official video contains scenes from the Call of Duty game as he does feature on the popular first person shooter game sound track and also features scenes from his various shows he performed at, also lots of behind the scenes stuff which is pretty cool and gives you a glimpse into the life of a superstar DJ.

                             

Monday Choon: HI-LO - Renegade Mastah

 

Who is HI-LO? When the first track of his "Crank it up" was released in June this year, it drew quite a following as it was a great track but no one had heard of this guy before. Turns out HI-LO is an alias used by an already big up and coming name in the dance music genre and with it, he decided to launch his new record label "Heldeep" on which he will release all his music. Well, the question you must be asking still, is who is he? He is none other that Dutch Deep house genius Oliver Heldens! This kid can do no wrong it seems, his HI-LO alias is to produce high bass, fast paced Deep House music. This week's track is HI-LO's new one, "Renegade Mastah", it may sound familiar to you as it was used in the UMF Miami Aftermovie. It's a great track and quite a catchy one, and you got to give it up to Oliver, many of the new young EDM producers on the scene tend to head down the high techo sounds but he's sticking to what he loves and doing great with it, hopefully we'll see him again next year at Ultra South Africa. 

                    

Monday Choon: Oliver Heldens & Shaun Frank - Shades Of Grey (Ft. Delaney Jane)

Dutch deephouse DJ Oliver Heldens is carrying on his trend of producing big hits, this time around he's teamed up with Canada's Shaun Frank and Delaney Jane on the vocals. Shades of Grey may sound familiar to some as it featured on the Ultra Miami Aftermovie which we featured last week. It's a mellow track with a great beat and tempo, the vocals are just fused into the mix to make it that extra special. It's been playlisted on some of the local radio stations of last week and sure to be a track for the summer. 

                     

Monday Choon: Ultra Miami 2015 Aftermovie

I've always been a big fan of the aftermovies produced by Final Kid for the Ultra festivals, they always seem to manage to blend the right amount of production, special effects and music to give one the feeling like they were present at the event. Which is why I was left a bit disappointed last year when they ditched their normal style and broke the movie up with interviews of people and DJ's. Don't get me wrong, I love to hear what they have to say about the festival but for me the Aftermovie is about experiencing what was Ultra in that 10 or so minutes, giving the viewer that sense of fomo and euphoria at the same time and I'm glad that they realised this as this years aftermovie they have reverted back to the usual style, just mind blowing production with some of the sickest beats merged into a video that will make you itch to fly to Miami for next years event. Final Kid are the geniuses again behind this epic video and they out did themselves again, you can view it in 4K and yes while it is bandwidth thirsty, trust me, it is worth it. Miami is the ultimate party, they can be Ultra's in many countries, tomorrowlands, electric carnivals you name but this still remains the number EDM party of the world and this video is proof of it. They used a wide range of electronic music in the video, starting off mellow and ending with the hard trance, it is nothing short of epic!

                    

Ultra SA 2016 - Update

The organisers of the countries biggest electronic dance event have heard the plea's of the many Cape Town festival goers and have catered for what they've asked for, Yup, Cape Town will be getting 2 days of Ultra Madness next year as well. Also much was debated about the new venue for the Cape Town and many agreed that the Ostrich Ranch would be better suited so it has been moved back there for the 2016 leg of Ultra South Africa. Camping facilities will be made available at a later date for Ostrich Ranch as well. So Cape Town, don't say nobody listens to you!

Dates for the shows in Johannesburg remain the same, Friday, February 26th and Saturday, February 27th. New dates for Cape Town are Saturday, February 27th and Sunday, February 28th. 

People who have already purchased early bird tickets for the show in Cape Town need not to worry about paying extra as organisers are rewarding their loyal Ultra South African fans with access to both days for the price of their single day pass. 

Tickets are still available for both events and the prices are as follows:

GA 2-day Combo

• Advanced price: R1000
• Full Price: R1250

VIP 2-day Combo

• Advanced Price: R1500
• Full Price: R2000

*One ticket purchase will grant you access for the 2-day festival of choice, either in Cape Town or Johannesburg. Note that ticket prices are not inclusive of camping. More details will be made available at a later date for that. 

For more information, be sure to follow Ultra South Africa on the various social media streams:

Twitter: @UltraSA

Facebook: Ultra South Africa

Instagram: ultrasouthafrica

Website: www.ultrasouthafrica.com

Monday Choon: Firebeatz - Sky High (Tiesto Edit) - OFFICIAL VIDEO

Fresh off the charts with another club banger this week, this time round it is from Dutch music producing duo Tim Benjamin Smulders and Jurre van Doeselaar better known as Firebeatz. Their latest track "Sky High" got speical treatment by the God Father himself, Tiesto and has just been released today on all major music stores for download. You've probably heard it on many of his podcasts of recent and in Miami he had them on stage when he played it to the public for the first time. You can also find this single on Tiesto's Club Life Volume 4, New York City. Watch the Office Video now!