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Le Mondial SAQ 2003
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

Argentina The Contrasts of the South July 9th, 2003

Cienfuegos. Designed by Luis Oscar Borca, traditional manual electrical firing

As Argentina celebrates Independence Day, Cienfuegos pyrotechnics experts will cast their first fireworks across Montréal's sky. Under the theme The Contrasts of the South, this Argentinean firm will present a singular pyromusical production that will shed light on the glorious traditions and colours of the South with all their oppositions: joy and melancholy, lightness and depth, calm and fury. Opening with a powerful wall of fire that evokes the discovery of the continent, this beautiful South American adventure's musical score will leave spectators breathless: Vangelis' famed Conquest of Paradise, the original tango works of Astro Piazzolla in all their splendour, and a medley of the most beautiful music from the Andes, Central America, Brazil and Argentina will all find their place of honour.

Another perfect, though slightly cool, summer's evening with clear skies, wind enough to move the smoke and very low humidity for the debut display from the Argentine team. Noted for their abilities in movie special effects, there promised to be some surprises in this ambitious manually fired display; this probably accounted for the slightly late start due to having so many things to set up. Cienfuegos have manufacturing facilities in both Argentina and Brazil and with 50% of the material in the display coming from these (and 30% overall was was specially created just for this display), the rest of the product sourced from Europe and China. Here is an interview with Luis Oscar Borca from the public relations team at La Ronde.

Part 1 to the music Conquest of Paradise by Vangelis. Fans of charcoal comets in the centre were followed be shells of willow comets turning to blue stars above with the same in mines below. Then large fires erupted on the surface of the lake and then fireballs mushroomed into the sky in the centre of the display area. These were followed by flame projectors and fans of bombette comet candles. As the bombettes continued, a large sun set piece in fountains lit up as barrages of shells fired above with fronts of whistling tourbillon and bombette candles continuing below. More huge fireballs erupted, radiating large amounts of heat, then red flame projectors and strobe shells above with more whistling comet candles below and yet more fireballs. Meanwhile, the fires on the lake continued to burn. Broccade shells ending in red stars fired with candles of whistles and glitter below, then more brocade shells, the segment coming to a close with a line of strings of firecrackers as the fires on the lake continued to burn.

Part 2 to the music Orureña by Uña Ramos. As the lake fires continued, shells of charcoal comets turning to red stars fired with fans of comets below and barrages of titanium salutes. Then shells of charcoal comets turning to silver followed be a repeated theme of silver shells turning to red with barrages of titanium salutes at a lower level. This theme continued, with the segment coming to a close with shells of slow falling clusters of silver stars.

Part 3 to the music Juana Azurduy by Huella Pampa. Fans of salute terminated wiggling comet candles opened this segment with shells of bees above. These were followed by clusters of bombette comet candles bursting to bright bees. Next, shells of charcoal comets turning to stars and then candles or cakes of salute terminated glittery comets. These were followed by bright orange bombettes and then very cool electric comet bombettes that filled the lower sky. Mine fans fired and the centre and then silver mines to the left and right, as the segment came to a close with huge pastel yellow shells.

Part 4 to the music Adios Nonino by Astor Piazzolla. Carefully angled comets from the extreme left and right, with lesser angles towards the middle ensured that all the comets met at an apex above the centre of the display. Then vertically firing comets then outward fans of comets. Above these, shells of charcoal comets to blue with fronts of thick vertical comets below, followed by rockets bursting to charcoal comets. These were followed by fans of thick charcoal comets and candles of deep blue bombettes. Fans of comets in the centre were followed by left and right angled pairs of comets with weeping willow shells above as the deep blue bombettes continued below in the centre, bringing the segment to a close, though the bombettes kept going for a bit longer.

Part 5 to the music Quebradeño by Huella Pampa. This began with shells of white turning to red then to silver. This was repeated for a time, then a short period of black sky. Next, volleys of four-colour changing shells: white to red to blue to silver. People were counting the number of colour changes! These continued for a time, the segment coming to a close with some large silver shells.

Part 6 to the music Para los rumberos by Tito Puente. This began with silver shells, then another period of dark sky for a short time before things got going again with shells of white comets. These continued with crossed mines below, the segment coming to a close with electric comet shells.

Part 7 to the music Guantanamera by Celia Cruz. Red-headed meteor comet crossette candles formed the opening theme to this segment. These were then augmented by the same Red-headed meteor comet crossettes in shells above and then silver comets breaking as red-headed meteor comet crossettes below.

Part 8 to the music Ran Kan Kan by Tito Puente. Shells of willow turning to blue began this segment with crossed fans of bombettes below with some salute barrages too. This theme continued for a while and as followed by large shells in silver and then a huge front of blue mines turning to glitter with large silver kamuro shells above, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 9 to the music Garotas de Ipanema by Frank Sinatra and Tom Jobim. An alternating sequence of red flame projectors and silver mines opened this serene segment as groups of rockets rose and burst to glitter. Then fans of bright charcoal comets which rose and arched over like flowers with shells of charcoal comets turning to stars above followed by more groups of glitter rockets. These were followed by crossed candles of glittery charcoal comet bombettes and large brocade shells above turning to silver at the tips, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 10 to the music Mambo Caliente by Arturo Sandoval. Delightful candles of bright firefly charcoal comets began this segment and were then augmented by very large shells of dense tiny stars with pistils. These were followed by shells of charcoal comets with strobing pistils and bomettes of strobes and colour below. Next, large brocade shells and fans of whistling comet candles or cakes. Above these, shells bursting to clusters of stars and more whistling comets below. Back to the very large shells of dense tiny stars with pistils as flame projectors and mines lit up below. A return to the bright firefly charcoal comet candles and strobe bombettes, the segment coming to a close with clusters of slow falling silver comets and huge meteor-headed comet shells.

Part 11 to the music Por una cabeza by The Tango Project. Flights of silver girandolas bursting to red stars and whistles rose into the air. These were followed by brocade shells with candles of bright firefly charcoal comets and blue stars below. These theme continued with the brocade shells above until the end of the segment.

Part 12 to the music Tanguedia by A. Piazzolla and Quinteto de Tango Contemporáneo. Cakes of salutes and strobe mines raised the pace for this segment as shells of comets to silver stars fired above and mines of salutes and strobes fired below. These were augmented by shells of strobes with more salute cakes and strobe mines below. The segment came to a close with a barrage of large shells of silver dahlia comets with strobing pistils.

Part 13 to the music El Firulete by José Basso. Crackling bombette candles with white shells above were followed by shells of pastel coloured meteor-headed comets. This theme continued and then shells of charcoal comets turning to stars as the music moved into

Part 14 to the music El Choclo by Juan D'Arienzo Y Su Orquesta Tipica. More crackling bombette candles with blue shells above followed by silver dahlia comet shells and then more silver comet shells. Next, mines of blue turning to crackle and then shells of a blue tinged silver, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 15 to the music Le Tango de Roxane by Ewan McGregor, José Feliciano and Jacekkoman. Very bright magnesium comet bombette candles in criss-cross shapes were followed be shells of charcoal comets turning to blue above, then shells of silver and crackling shells at a lower level. This theme continued with large shells and lower level crackling shells as fast fans of crackling comets opened in the centre below with fronts of candles with double-ended tourbillons. The pace continued to increase with the double-ended tourbillon candles continuing below, shells with pistils and white stars turning to red or blue above. Now salute barrages began below with shell barrages above in willow turning to blue as the double-ended tourbillons and salutes continued below. This theme continued with the segment coming to a close with large brocade shells.

Part 16 to the music Malambo by Orquesta Filarmonica de Buenos Aires. This final orchestral piece began with candles of crackling charcoal bombettes and then shells of pastel meteor-headed comets above. Below these, whistling comets and candles of charcoal comets with bright fireflies. These were followed by mines of blue and glitter, more double-ended tourbillons and then more bombettes with titanium salutes as well. Willow shells turning to silver were fired above with mines below and large fireballs. The pace increased and continued this theme of mines and fireballs below with barrages of large shells above. The pace increased still further with huge barrages of massive shells as my note become unreadable. The very end of the display coming with a thunderous barrage of salute cakes, silver kamuro shells above and a final barrage of salutes to cheers from the crowd.

This was a very good debut display for Argentine team, especially considering it was manually fired. Most of the music was different though at times the synchronization wasn't too great and the fact that the display was manually fired meant that some of the rhythmic elements were lost. There were variations in pace, with the opening being quite dramatic, as was the finale. A couple of areas of dark sky in the middle didn't detract from this display which had the novelty of large fireballs - demonstrating the team's special effects prowess. I later discovered that the fireballs were created with 17 litres of kerosene in 8" mortars, lifted with 4" maroons! Notable were some excellent colours, particularly the deep blues and the firefly comets were also good. This display really pushed the limits of what can be achieved with manual firing in terms of the amount of material which accounted for the slightly late start. A good display, but lack of use of the lake and not the tightest synchronization will probably mean that it won't be in the winners this year.

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Thanks to the public relations people of La Ronde for the official press release material, shown in white.