L'International des Feux Loto-Québec 2005
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

Argentina Southern Passions Saturday July 2^nd, 2005

Fuegos Artificiales Júpiter Designed by Mario Gaston Gallo; Pyrodigital firing, Show Director choreography, 154 FM modules, 2348 cues

"The family firm FUEGOS ARTIFICIALES JÚPITER got its start in the late 1960s as a distributor and importer of pyrotechnical pieces. By the 1990s, it had created a fireworks presentation division and, well, rocketed to fame, quickly scooping up several major international awards. Its languorous pyromusical tango 'Southern passions' will use the geographical distance and language differences between the cities of Montréal and Buenos Aires, and their people, in tribute to the two modes of artistic expression that do unite them, whatever differences there may be: fireworks and tango, which will intertwine in perfect harmony to the sheer delight - both visual and aural - of spectators"

The hottest June on record in Montréal gave way to perfect but cooler weather with low humidity and enough wind to clear smoke for this debut display from the Argentinian team. Dedicated to Argentina's most noted musical genre, the Tango, the display promised to be exciting as a stage had been set up in the lake with a pair of dancers ready to perform during the display. With no extra ramps used or other special effects, it promised to be a purely pyrotechnic spectacle.

Part 1 to the music El dìa que me quieras by Carlos Gardel. This music was a short introduction to the theme of the display.

Part 2 to the music Violentango by Astor Piazzolla. Barrages of huge white comet shells with gold strobe mines below opened the display proper. These continued and were then followed by crossed comet candles and more barrages of white comet shells above. Next, meteor-headed comet candles and shells of willow comets turning to blue stars above. This theme continued and was followed with fast fan sequences of comets with more large willow to blue shells above with fans of candles below. Barrages of beautiful rainbow-coloured falling leaves shells were augmented by the same but in strobes. Then repeated volleys of large shell-of-shells (studatas) mixed in with falling-leaf strobe shells, followed by angled mines of willow turning to blue. Then more studatas, bringing the segment to a close to enthusiastic appreciation from the audience.

Part 3 to the music Tanguera by Mariano Mores. This began with barrages of colour shells with meteor-headed comet candle fans below. Above these, barrages of gorgeous double farfalle shells with candles of tourbillons below. This theme continued and was followed by large shells of comets turning to red then silver. Fans of comets followed the glissandi in the music as large silver comet shells fired above. More studatas were then followed by brocade shells and a return to the barrages of double farfalles. This theme continued and the segment came to a close with a barrage of studatas and criss-crossing willow to blue mines.

Part 4 to the music Milonga del Angel by Astor Piazzolla. A line of gold fountains lit up in this quieter piece of music. Then crossed charcoal comet candles with pastel heads. A new set of fountains in Vs lit up as the candles continued as rising tail shells bursting to the same pastel-headed charcoal comets fired above. These were followed by a mix of charcoal comet shells with some brighter comet shells below (somewhat too bright for the charcoal shells above). Next, studatas bursting to blue stars and comets followed by more charcoal comet shells. The segment came to a dramatic close as a front of comets rose into the air, turned over and landed in the lake, transforming into floating strobes (known as a "Magic Carpet"), causing gasps of amazement from the audience.

Part 5 to the music Alexanderplatz Tango by M. Masri and D. Velazquez. Strobes lit up on ramp three as charcoal comets fired left and right. Then bright fans of mines and shells of orange photo-flash fired above giving the effect of dazzling strobes. Mines of pastel colours fired below as more of the photo-flash shells continued above. A theme of pastel-headed comet fans with the same in shells above with some really nice colours. A return to the photoflash shells, the segment coming to a close with fans of mines.

Part 6 to the music Nocturna A by Julian Plaza. Perfectly synchronized mines moved left and right along with the piano music. Shells fired above and then fronts of mines below in charcoal and blue as the same in shells fired above. Then more perfectly synchronized mines followed by mines of glitter and strobes with barrages of strobe shells above. The strobe shell barrages continued, filling the sky. These were followed by shells of comets and stars with really great colours and then shells of brocade turning to strobes. Next, mines of pink on the notes with the segment coming to a close with a volley of brocade studatas.

Part 7 to the music Libertango by Astor Piazzolla. Strobes lit up on ramp 3 as shells of fast go-getters mixed in with shells of falling leaves fired above. These volleys continued and were followed by shells of falling leaf strobes as crossed glitter candles fired below. Then large shells of glitter comets with risiing tails with crossed star candles below these. Above these, shells with pistils in orange and violet with shots of pink mines below these. This theme continued until the segment came to a close with a burst of violet studatas.

Part 8 to the music Taquito Militar by Mariano Mores. The dancers on the floating stage came to life and danced a tango as shells of colour changing stars fired above. Then mines of dazzling yellow with note synchronized comet shots and ring shells above. These were followed by shells of crackling electric comets and shells of gold glitter. Fans of mines fired below and then shells of loud crackling brocade comets as fans of blue mines fired left and right below. Large weeping willow shells fired above together with falling leaves and gold glitter comets below. Huge shells of weeping willow turning to blue were fired as mines of blue and charcoal fired in Vs left and right below. More shells of crackling comets were followed by note synchronized mine shots below as the segment came to an end (with the dancers still dancing) with a barrage of studatas.

Part 9 to the music El Choclo by Angel Villoldo. As the dancers continued, girandolas rose into the air and were followed by shells of slow whirling tourbillons, fitting the music perfectly. The same tourbillons were then fired from candles as the shells continued above. Shells of comets fired above as candles of comets that accelerated as they rose into the air fired below. These were followed by shells of brocade comets turning to strobes with fans of glitter candles below, bringing the segment to a close as the dancers came to a halt and exited the stage.

Part 10 to the music Adios Nonino by Astor Piazzolla. Large shells of white comets opened this segment with candles of comets and whistles below. This theme continued as the comet shells became large silver kamuros, increasing in size and number with the music. As the music became more serene, the intensity of the shells diminshed and the silver kamuros were replaced by slow falling strobes, filling the air in a very serene manner. Then dazzling mines in silver and a return to the silver kamuros above as the intensity increased. More dazzling silver mine fans and a barrage of nautical strobes lit up on the lake. Above these, barrages of silver comet shells were replaced by slow falling strobes as the music became more serene, the segment coming to a close with mine shots left and right, ending quietly.

Part 11 to the music Tango by Anonymous. Strobe shells fired above with crossed star and comet candles below. Then shells of strobes with strobing pistils (a neat effect) fired above. These were followed by very large shells of dense brocade comets turning to strobes - also a very neat effect. This continued and was augmented by fans of thick pale gold comets and mines of dense brocade. Then fans of charcoal comets and more of the dense brocade to strobe shells above, the segment coming to a close with a front of brocade turning to strobe mines.

Part 12 to the music El Boulevard by M. Masri and D. Velazquez. Fronts of stars shooting left, right and up were followed by multiple volleys of multi-colour studatas. Then massive shells of rings of comets with star pistils with crossed comet candles below. More multi-colour studatas as dazzling fans of mines fired below and then barrage after barrage of the multi-colour studatas. A return to the massive comet rings with pistil shells and some double farfalles as the mines and crossed comet candles continued below. Back to the multi-colour studatas and mine fans and then barrage after barrage of studatas with crossed silver stars below, the segment coming to a close with large fans of mines and huge red comet studatas.

Part 13 to the music Fuga y Misterio by Astor Piazzolla. Shells of crazy serpents and stars burst into the sky as a line of wheels lit up on ramp three. The crazy serpent barrages continued and were augmented by multi colour shells and then blue studatas. Next, barrages of shells of blue with serpents followed by shells of charcoal comets turning to blue, with the same in mines below. This theme continued with the mines firing to the left and right in Vs. The segment came to a close with gold glitter and strobe comet candles with shells of blue and gold above.

Part 14 to the music El dìa que me quieras by Carlos Gardel. A line of gold fountains in Vs lit up on ramp 3. Then a volley of nautical strobes lit up on the lake as shells of brocade trailed to the lake from above. Three hemispheres of titanium fountains lit up in a serene fashion as Niagara Falls shells gently cascaded from above. Then a line of fountains lit up on ramp 4 as nautical fountains lit up on the lake as a long waterfall lit up on ramp three. The nautical fountains shot silver comets into the air at their end and then a new set lit up on the lake as Niagara Falls shells cascaded from above to the lake. Nautical strobes then lit up as Niagara falls shells fell from above and were then replaced by barrages of slow falling strobes, trailing all the way to the lake and bringing the segment to a calm and beautiful end.

Part 15 to the music Nocturna B by Julian Plaza. Barrages of massive nautical shells of gold comets turning to silver jolted everyone from the serenity of the previous segment. Then barrages of weeping willow shells began with rising tails. These continued and built in intensity, their bursts so powerful and frequent that they sounded like salutes. These continued with mines of brocaded below as the shells move from weeping willows to gold brocades. The intensity continued increasing as the air was filled with gold brocades with mines below. This theme continued until the end of the display as a final front of crossed kamuro mines signaled the end. The audience rose to their feet and gave the Argentinians a well deserved standing ovation.

This was a fantastic display from the debutant Argentinian team. The marriage of the music and fireworks was flawless and the synchronization was such that the fireworks really danced with the music. The range of intensity was very well controlled and always in perfect harmony with the music. The quality of the fireworks used was also excellent - especially the studatas and farfalles. The nautical effects were very well done, particularly the "magic carpet" effect. There was a good range of music, even though many of the pieces were not familiar, they worked extremely well in the display. The use of the three levels of the display (low, medium and high) was also very well done and demonstrated a very keen artistic sense. The tango has been called both sensual and brutal and the fireworks reflected this observation very keenly. In the press room afterwards, many people commented that this display reminded them of the "golden age" of the Fireworks Competition - a sentiment I concur with. The only criticisms I can think of were that the finale could have been a bit more powerful - I thought that there would be a progession from willow through gold brocade to silver - and that there was one point in the display where willow shells were masked by some brighter ones. I only make these comments, though, because the display was so good. This must be a contender for a prize this year.

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